Easter bunny bread

This Easter, I wanted to tackle the dreaded bread monster. Armed with my lovely new (and red!) stand mixer, I decided to make some hot cross buns. The store-bought hot cross buns are a tad bit sweet for my liking.

So, on Good Friday, I baked the first batch of hot cross buns. I followed the Joy of Baking Hot Cross Buns recipe to the t, and they turned out to be wonderful. Thanks to my good friend Amrita of Sweet n Savory for being the inspiration. :)

Encouraged, I took on the basic white bread recipe from the book that came with my lovely new (and red!) stand mixer. Yes, I love my stand mixer that much!!! I wanted to make it look somewhat like this Easter Bunny Bread, but using fresh dough instead of the frozen. Here it goes -

Ingredients:

Basic White Bread:
1/2 cup low fat milk (I used 1%)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
5-6 cups al purpose flour

Bunny shape:
2 raisins
2 sliced almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

1. In a small sauce pan, place heat milk, salt, sugar and butter in low heat until the butter melts. Let it cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let it 'activate' till foamy (about 10 minutes).
2. In the mixer bowl, add the milk mixture and about 4-41/2 cups flour. Using the dough hook, mix it while adding the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour and mix till the dough starts to come together in a ball. Knead till the dough is smooth. 
3. Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape into loaves.

Now for the fun part - I almost relived my childhood days, playing with 'Play Doh' or ' Plasticine' as we called it then. 

• Prepare a baking sheet - grease and line with parchment paper.
• Cut a fourth off of one loaf and gently shape into a drop or pear shape to form the bunny's head. Flatten remaining portion into an oval shape and place on the sheet. Place head above body. I used a pair of kitchen shears to make cuts on each side of head for bunny's whiskers.
• Divide the remaining loaf into four equal portions. I did that using a greased knife. For ears, shape two portions into 14-16 inches long ropes. Now, fold ropes in half and arrange them as the bunny's ears with open ends touching head. Gently tuck the open ends under the bunny's head, for a more clean look. I had to adjust the shape of the ears to fit my sheet tray.
• Cut the third portion of dough into two and flatten them into ovals for paws. Cut two slits on the edge of each oval for bunny's tiny toes. Position on each side of the bunny's body. Now it should start to resemble a bunny.
• Divide the fourth portion of dough into three balls.  Use two for front paws. Place paws on each side of body. You could make slits for its toes here as well. Cut the third ball into three, and shape them into two smaller (about 1 inch) balls for the cheeks and one 1/2-in. ball for nose. Place cheeks and nose on face. Add raisins for eyes and almonds for teeth.

Bunny bread as it sat on the counter to rise.

• Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 30-45 minutes. I sprayed the cling film with oil so that it does not stick into the bunny as it rises. 
• Once it is doubled, brush dough with egg. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Fresh out of the oven

• Place bread on a serving tray. Cut a 3-1/2-in. circle in center of body. Hollow out bread, leaving a 1/2-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Place a 1-cup shallow bowl in the hole and fill with dip. I used some lettuce leaves to cover the bowl before placing the dip. Serve with vegetables, cheese and crackers of your choice.

It was a huge crowd pleaser, and no one wanted to take the first bite off the cute Easter Bunny!! It made for a wonderful Easter spread centerpiece :)

Bon Appetit!
Hetal from Houston

Carrot shaped carrot cake

While I have baked many a cake, I usually frost or glaze them - never mustered enough courage use fondant. I love carrots and carrot cakes. Sadly, my best taste tester (read hubby) does not. Needless to say, I rarely bake carrot cakes. 
So when we invited our friends over this Easter, I decided to bake a carrot cake and cover it with marshmallow fondant. I used my favorite carrot cake recipe here and made a carrot shaped carrot cake. Here it goes.


Preparation time: 
For cake: 10 minutes
For cream cheese frosting: 15 minutes
For fondant rolling/ decorating: 30 minutes + 8 hours rest.
Bake time: 30 minutes + cooling time.


Carrot Cake
Cake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded
• 1 cups walnuts, finely chopped.

Cake Method:

• Grease and line a 11x9" sheet pan and a 8"x8" square pan (or any other shape) with parchment paper. I used only the sheet pan cake to make the carrot shape. I did not want to reduce the recipe to half, lest it changes the chemistry. You can use the other cake to make a smaller carrot, or any other shape. I just frosted it with cream cheese.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Whip butter and sugar (Both white and brown) with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, water & grated carrots. Beat until well combined. 
• Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped walnuts.The batter will be very thick.
• Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting

Frosting Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Frosting Method

• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar gradually until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Carrot Shape:

• Cut the sheet cake along the long side into half. 
• Frost one of the halves, with cream cheese frosting. 
• Gently flip the other half over.
• Cut and shape into a carrot, with narrow side being about 3/4" wide.
• Frost entire cake with cream cheese frosting.
• Refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Carrot top:

• Cut a small piece of cake, about 2"x1". Frost with cream cheese. 
• Layer with another piece, and frost completely. Refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Marshmallow fondant:

• Prepare white marshmallow fondant as per this recipe a day ahead. Refrigerate for 8 hours wrapped in cling film. 
• Orange fondant: 



Placing rolled fondant on carved cake

• Pinch tennis ball sized fondant, and microwave for 15 seconds to bring it to soft maleable form.
• Add yellow and red gel food color drops to get orange color. Start with couple drops and add as needed.
• Knead till color is evenly blended.
• Grease counter top thoroughly. With a rolling pin, the orange fondant into 1/2" thick disk. Greasing rolling pin might help the rolling process. Also, sprinkle corn starch/ powdered sugar to keep the fondant from sticking.



Trimmed excess fondant

• Gently lift the rolled fondant and place on the cake.



Lines and indentations to make it look 'real'.

• Trim the excess from sides.
• Use a cheese knife to make random lines on the fondant to resemble a real carrot.
• Green fondant:
• Follow same process to color a small piece of fondant into green, for the carrot top.
• Roll and cover the carrot top. 
• Trim and decorate. 
• Attach to the carrot, using cream cheese frosting as glue.

With green fondant carrot topping

• Everyone at the party seemed pleased, and my best taste tester loved the cake so much, that he finished whatever was left of the cake as a midnight snack!!
• 
  

Bon Apetit!
Hetal from Houston


PS. You can use any carrot cake recipe, or even a box mix. 

Easter Bunny cookies

Spring is here. My dahlia plants are growing quickly, and a pair of doves are nesting in one of the hanging planters in my patio. 
It also means its time for Easter. While it is a relatively new festival for me, I think its a wonderful way to celebrate the advent of spring.  All the colourful eggs and bunnies make me smile. This Easter, I made some white bunny butter cookies with pink ears to give away as party favors. Here it goes. 


Preparation time: 1-1.5 hours
Bake time: 20 minutes
Yield: 40-45 cookies


Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup/ 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 egg (room temperature)1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pink gel food color

Method:

Cookie dough:

• In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt together. 
• In a large bowl, beat two sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until mixture is pale and smooth.
• Add the flour mixture in and mix just until the flour is incorporated. The dough might not come together completely. Knead into a soft ball. 
• Take a ball of dough about 2-3 inches. (I made some pink bunnies too. Pinch off less if you want only white bunnies). Add a drop of pink food colour to the small piece of dough and knead well, till the colour is evenly blended. Add more colour if you want a darker shade of pink.
• The dough is pretty firm- almost like play dough consistency. I started shaping right away. If the dough is soft to work with, cover in cling film and refrigerate for 45 minutes and then work on the shapes.

Shaping:

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll a tablespoon of dough into a smooth tear drop shape to resemble a bunny. Gently place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining white dough. Place each of the shaped cookie dough about 1'' apart. The cookies dont spread much. 

Pink bunny ears.

Super cute bunny tails

Tiny pink bunnies

• Pinch very small amount of pink dough, and shape into a bunny ear. Place on top of the white dough bunny and press down gently. Repeat for the other ear. I tried several shapes (some with round base and narrow tips, some floppy ears and some narrow long ears), and dont think any two bunnies looked identical. 
• Pinch an even tinier amount and make a tiny bushy tail of the bunny. Repeat above process for tiny pink bunnies.
• Refrigerate the cookies for 30-45 minutes. 

Baking:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes in the middle or lower rack till cookies light brown on the bottom.
• Let cool completely. Make tiny eyes (with molten chocolate and a toothpick), whiskers etc if you wish. I just left them the way they were. Simple and cute!

Easter bunny cookies 

Wrapping: Since I wanted to give each guest some cookies as party favors, I had to figure out a way to wrap them in small boxes. Here's what I did.

• Printed template I had seen here, and improvised to make it somewhat simpler (given that I was making these the night before Easter). I swapped the bunnies for eggs, and cut the template on colourful construction paper. 
• Wrapped 4-5 cookies in cling film and placed in each of the folded boxes. Tied the top with wire tiebacks.
• Adorned boxes with easter ornaments and candies. The outcome was cute and colourful. What do you think?

Easter party favours

Happy Easter!!

Bon Apetit!

Hetal from Houston


PS. I made two batches of cookies, and they turned out great both times. :)

PPS. This recipe is based on original recipe from Rabbit Cookies.