Easter Bunny Buns

Yesterday my Mom (aka "Nana") came over to make Bunny Buns with me and the girls. Supposedly this is a Cummings tradition and my Aunt Janet used to come over and make them with me and my sisters, but I don't really have clear recollections of that.

Mom made the sweet roll dough ahead of time and brought it over all risen and everything, so we could get down to the fun part. The recipe is below but you could use any bread or roll dough you like. The bunny part just comes in the shaping of it. You use your hands to roll the dough out into a snake (just like playdoh - so fun for kids!) Then you fold and twist once to make the body:
And twist again to make the head:
Then you decorate with sprinkles for eyes and whiskers. You can dab your fingers in a little water and dab it on the dough if the sprinkles don't stick.

But we didn't stop at bunnies. It didn't take long for the girls to realize they could shape Easter "eggs" all on their own, so after awhile Mom and I made bunnies while the girls made eggs.
And then I made a butterfly, which I'm pretty proud of:
And of course our initials:
And now you know what we had for lunch yesterday!

Sweet Rolls:
2 cups milk
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/4 tsp sugar
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp) yeast
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
About 8 cups flour

1. Scald milk in saucepan and let it cool. In a cereal bowl, put 1 c. warm water (110 deg) and 1/4 tsp sugar. Add yeast and let bubble for about 10 minutes while the milk cools.

2. In a large bowl combine the butter, eggs, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mix and the cooled milk. Add flour 2 cups at a time, mixing to make a soft dough. Usually takes about 8 cups of flour.

3. Turn out onto floured board and knead for a few minutes, adding flour if it is too sticky, to make a pliable dough. Put back into bowl and cover with dishtowel or plastic wrap, leaving sides open. Let rise about 1 hour, or till double. Punch it down, hitting out the bubbles, and form into your rolls. Let rise a little longer and bake 10-15 minutes at 375 deg.

Variations:

Cinnamon rolls - divide the dough into half after the first rising, roll out one section, dot with butter and cinnamon/sugar, roll up and slice.Repeat with other section. Bake either in a cake pan, or individual rolls in muffin tins. Frost with thinned powdered sugar frosting.

Pecan or walnut sticky buns- roll up with sugar, nuts and butter, with more at the bottom of the pan.

Cloverleaf rolls- in each muffin tin put 3 small balls of dough- let rise and bake

Dinner rolls- roll dough to about 1/2 inch, cut with a 3" round cookie cutter, brush 1/2 with melted butter, fold other half over , let rise and bake.

Monkey bread or "Pluckit"- spray Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Roll small balls of dough in cinnamon sugar and put them into the pan with nuts. Let rise and bake- longer than rolls that are separate, turn upside down on the plate to serve.

You could make any kind of fruit roll with fairly dry fruit inside and sugar and nuts, like cranberries, blueberries, chopped apples, dried apricots, peaches, sugar and orange rind, or just brown sugar for butterscotch rolls.

Recipe from my Mom who got it from her friend in the 70's Marilyn Brough