Bunny Buns

Here is a fun recipe to make for Family Home Evening or Easter Sunday.  This recipe was first published in The Friend magazine in 1980, and reprinted in 2011.  You can find the original recipe here.

Bunny Buns
adapted from The Friend, April 2011 issue
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk (warm cold milk for 1 minute in the microwave)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbs grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water.  Blend milk, sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and orange juice in another bowl.  Add to yeast mixture.  With mixer on low, mix in flour a cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise covered for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.  Punch down dough and let rest for 10 minutes.  To shape the bunnies, look at the original directions here.  Let rise until doubled (20-30 minutes).  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Mix the glaze together.  Drizzle on bunnies while still warm.  Make cute bunny faces with sprinkles or dried fruit, or let the kids sprinkle them as desired. 

Variations: For the following variations omit orange juice and orange peel
Vanilla bunnies--Increase milk by 1/4 cup, add 1 tsp. vanilla to dough.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla to glaze.
Cinnamon bunnies--Before baking, mix together 1 tsp cinnamon with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Sprinkle bunnies with 1 tsp. of cinnamon mixture.  Bake as directed.  Add 1 tsp vanilla to the glaze.
Lemon bunnies--Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 Tbs lemon zest to dough.  Add 1 tsp lemon extract to glaze. 

For other fun Easter activities to enjoy with your kids, The Friend has compiled a list of activities and stories from past issues.  Happy Easter!
~Lena