Sugar Knot Rolls, Easter Preps and Birthdays!

Easter is coming soon and if you're looking for a wonderfully soft and delicious sweet bread for your Easter brunch I have a great recipe for you!  Inspired by my blogging friend, Juliana, at Color Your Recipes, this bread incorporates the Tangzong or water roux method.  I have been wanting to try this method of bread-making for a long time and finally got around to making some this week.

The bread is so soft and fluffy inside it's almost like eating cotton candy! Delicious on it's own with butter or jam, baked with a sugar topping as Juliana did, or drizzled with glaze and sprinkles like mine.  You can visit Juliana's website to get the recipe and her tips by clicking the link above or also see the recipe with my tips below.

The end of March and beginning of April is always such a fun and busy time here as we celebrate three birthdays in our immediate family in the course of 2-1/2 weeks.  Mine is first in March, followed by my husband's, exactly one week later, and then our oldest daughter's birthday is 9 days after that.

We had a big family dinner party last weekend at our home and celebrated all three at the same time.  Gifts and cards from dear friend's arrived early...

Thank you, Dear Monique!  We have been cyber 'Peas in a Pod' for can it be 25 years now?  We share a love of gardening, painting, cooking and baking among many other parallels in our lives. The gift of friendship is the most valuable and cherished.  ♥

Our middle grandson, Dane who just turned seven shortly before my birthday, gifted both my husband and me with one his original pieces of artwork.  I love his artistic expression!

I've also been doing a little painting of my own for Easter.  I got the idea for the flower painted eggs from Lucy at Craftberry Bush.  Hers are so much better than mine!  I tried a few of her poppy designs and then decided to paint some of the spring flowers that grow in my garden.

I found the faux eggs I used at Walmart.  I love to have a few dozen on hand so I can let my grandsons decorate their own eggs and take them home.  No fear of broken or smelly eggs :)

Enjoy!

Sugar Knot Rolls

Printable Recipe

Makes about 12-14 knot rolls, depending on size. It helps to have a digital scale that measures in both grams and ounces.  In parenthesis I tried to give alternate measurements.

Note:  I started making the bread dough in the afternoon and put the dough in the refrigerator for the first rise overnight.  In the morning, it had tripled in size and was ready for forming into rolls.

Tangzhong or water roux:

50 grams (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) bread flour
250 milliliters (1 cup) water

Bread dough:

550 grams (3-1/4 cups) bread flour
90 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
7 grams (1-1/4 teaspoon) salt
7 grams (1-1/4 teaspoon or one packet) yeast
20 grams (4 tablespoons) non-fat dry milk
2 very large eggs (minus 1 ½ tablespoon), approximately 100 grams. Save what's left for the egg wash.
65 grams (1/3 not-quite-full cup) heavy cream
70 grams (5 tablespoons) butter, softened

Glaze (Optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Milk stirred in to obtain drizzling consistency. Perhaps 2-3 tablespoons.

First make the water roux. In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour until well-blended and free of lumps. Cook over medium heat to the temperature of 65C/150F, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. This will take 2-4 minutes. When done, it should have the consistency of custard and the whisk should make visible lines in the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to keep a 'film' from forming. Cool. The roux can be kept in the refrigerator for 48 hours until ready to use.

To make the bread dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook, place all of the cooled roux. Then add all of the other ingredients for the bread dough, except for the butter. That will be added after the first 'mix'. Turn the mixer on low and stir for 2-3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to level 2 and let it mix for 15 minutes. The dough will be sticky but do not add any more flour. As the dough mixes and the gluten forms it will become less sticky.

Add the softened butter and mix for another 15-20 minutes. To test if the dough is ready, take out of small, golf ball sized portion of dough and slowly stretch in all directions. This is called the windowpane test. If the dough is elastic enough the dough will not tear and you should be able to see light and shadows through the dough. If it tears, return to the mixer and mix for another 2-3 minutes and test again.  Here is a short video on the windowpane dough test:  Click Here.

Remove dough from the mixer and place into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to triple in size. This may take quite a while, depending on the temperature in your house. I placed my dough in the refrigerator overnight and the dough had tripled in size by morning.

To make the rolls, remove dough from bowl and deflate by pushing it down. Divide into about 12-14 balls of about 75 grams each pr about 2-1/2 inches round. To make the knots, roll out a rope from one ball of dough, about 12-14 inches long. Then tie the rope into a knot, tucking one end underneath and the other end bring over the top and push through the hole in the center, like a pretzel. Or twist into any shape you wish. Place each roll on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone liner. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow to double in size.

When they are almost fully doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the top of the rolls with the reserved egg with a 1 tablespoon of water added to it. You can either sprinkle the rolls now with sugar before baking, or bake, allow to cool, and then drizzle a glaze over the top and then sprinkle with colored decors or sugar.

Bruffins with Ham and Cheese

Easter idea alert!

First, it was Cruffins, a flaky croissant-like muffin (click here for my post on Cruffins from last year) that became immensely popular in bakeries and cafes and now it's Bruffins!  Bruffins are muffins made from brioche dough and filled with any savory filling that sounds good to you.  Basically, it's breakfast, brunch or lunch that you can eat on the go.

For my first attempt at making them, I picked a simple filling of lean, diced, smoked ham and diced sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese.  The sweet brioche dough and the savory filling were a delicious combination! After my husband ate two, there was a request for a third.  'These are good!', he said.

Two days ahead of time, you will need to get your brioche dough started.  You'll need a very large bowl, jar or container with a lid.  I used a large cracker jar that I bought a Target.  I decided on the brioche dough recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day as I've made it before.  It's easy, stores well in the frig and is delicious!  The next day, pull out a chunk of dough (I took out a 1-pound piece which I weighed on my digital kitchen scale).  The dough is rolled on on a very well-floured surface and the filling is added.  It's folded over like a letter and rolled again, then cut into strips which are twisted and placed (artfully or not) into muffin cups or greased muffin tins to rise. 

These ham and cheese Bruffins would be perfect for a simple Easter brunch buffet.  They would also be a great way to use the left-over ham from your Easter dinner. You can make them a day ahead, refrigerate them and them simply pop them in the oven to warm gently before serving.  Let the Oohs and Aahs roll! 

"I'm so tired!  Hiding all of those Easter eggs is exhausting!"
"You think you're tired, I had to lay all of them!"

Have you tried the unbreakable eggs from Walmart yet?  They are great for kids and crafting! They dye just like regular eggs and you never have to worry about breaks and cracks with little ones.  We had our two oldest grandsons for a sleep over recently and we colored eggs together ♥ 

Hope all of you who celebrate, have a very Happy Easter!

Bruffins with Ham and Cheese

Printable Recipe Brioche dough (makes about 4 loaves) - Recipe can be cut in half - half recipe ingredients in parentheses. 1 1/2 cups (3/4 cup) lukewarm water 1 tablespoon (1-1/2 teaspoons) Active Dry, or Quick-Rise yeast 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 teaspoons)  kosher salt 8 (4) large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten 1/2 cup (1/4 cup) honey 1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks (3/4 cup or 1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted 7 1/2 cups (3-3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour For the Bruffins (makes 8) 1 pound of brioche dough 3 ounces of diced smoked ham 3 ounces of diced sharp cheddar cheese 1 small egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash 8 pretty muffin liners, if desired Mix the yeast, salt, eggs honey and melted butter with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) food container. Mix in the flour, using a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated but do not knead. Cover (not airtight), and allow to sit at room temperature for about 2-2-1/2 hours. (If you use cold eggs the initial rise can be very slow. Using eggs that have come to room temperature helps.) Refrigerate the dough overnight and use over the next five days. The dough can be frozen in 1 pound portions for 4 weeks. On baking day (or when the dough has chilled for 8–12 hours), prepare two 12-muffin pans by spraying them with baking spray or your may use muffin liners. These rise quite a bit so it's best to use every-other muffin space, if possible. Using floured hands, remove a 1 pound portion of brioche dough from the container (about the size of a cantaloupe melon). Flour a work surface very well and turn the dough out onto it and dust the dough with more flour. It can be quite sticky. Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle, approximately 8 x 16" and about 1/2" thick. Add more flour if the dough sticks to the work surface. Spread the diced cheese and ham evenly over the rectangle and then press them lightly into the dough. Fold the top third of the dough over the middle (your may need a large, floured spatula for this if the dough stick), then fold the bottom third up into a letter fold. Press the edges to seal them and roll the dough into another rectangle, about 3/4" thick. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut along the short side to make 8 even strips. You may bake any scrapes on a baking sheet. Take each strip and twist the ends in opposite directions a few times, then pick up middle of the strip with one hand and the ends with the other, lay the ends into the muffin cup first, laying down the middle on top with a another gentle twist. Cover the muffin pans lightly with plastic wrap and let rest for about 1 1/2–2 hours or until doubled in volume. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°. Whisk together the egg wash and gently brush over the tops of the muffins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, switching racks and rotating the muffin pans for even baking. Baking time with vary depending on your oven. Cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately or cool completely and refrigerate in a covered container. The muffins will keep refrigerated for about three days. Chilled muffins can be rewarmed in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Left-over dough can be used to make brioche bread, muffins or sandwich buns. Filling with cinnamon sugar will make a delicious sweet treat. Inspired by an article on Bruffins in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Morning Bun Cruffins and Bunny Bundt Cakelets!

Hello, friends, I have so much to share today so this will be a long post! It's been a very busy time here the past two weeks with spring birthdays and a belated Easter celebration with family this past weekend.

Today, I'm sharing a recipe that I have become totally obsessed with. TOTALLY. I've made these Cruffins (croissant meets muffin) three times in the past two weeks and my jeans are feeling a little tight.  I'm thinking an intervention or rehab might be in order.  When I first saw the technique using a pasta roller to thinly roll the dough for these cruffins on Lady and Pups I immediately imagined how wonderful they might taste with cinnamon sugar added as in Morning Bun pastries.

 

I got out my KA mixer pasta attachment and got rolling!  Flaky, croissant-y layers of butter and cinnamon-sugar deliciousness.  I was hooked when I tasted the first one.

I'm not adding a tutorial because the one you'll see on Lady and Pups is very thorough if you decide to try these (although mine are not nearly as beautiful as hers).  From now on, I promise to only eat these on the weekend.  Promise!  Fingers crossed~

For our Easter celebration, I made Bunny Cakelets for my grandsons with my new cakelet pan from Williams Sonoma.  WS is already sold out of them but you can still find them on Amazon.  Aren't they adorable?

Our boys also enjoyed an egg hunt here and I made shark hats for them - idea courtesy of La Table de Nana and her creative daughter :)

 

Last, and certainly not least, things are growing and blooming here at last! It certainly is a time to celebrate!

I'll be back soon to share a recipe for the delicious birthday cake that I made for my daughter!

Morning Bun Cruffins

Recipe Adapted from Lady and Pups

Printable Recipe 

Makes 8

Please see tutorial on Lady and Pups as a guide. 

The major change I made to her recipe (other than my addition of cinnamon sugar) was in the cutting of the dough 'logs' after they are rolled out in the pasta roller and covered with butter and cinnamon-sugar mixture.  I tried cutting them 'crosswise' as she did but most of the cinnamon sugar oozed out with the butter during baking which made a caramelized mess and kept them from rising properly.  Therefore, for my morning bun adaptation, instead of cutting the logs lengthwise before twisting into buns, I cut my logs crosswise instead and rolled them with my hands until long enough to twist into the pretzel shape.  Two successful batches later can't be bad (unless of course you become addicted to these as I have). 

It is best to use a digital kitchen scale to measure the flour and water, but if you don't have one, loosely pile the flours in a measuring cup and scrape the top level with a knife. 

150 grams (1 cup + 1 tbsp) bread flour
150 grams (1 cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp (6 grams) instant dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp (11 grams) salt
130 grams (1/2 cup) luke-warm water + 30 grams (2 tbsp) if more is needed
50 grams (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature

115 grams (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, divided into 4 equal parts (2 T each) and softened to room-temperature (I placed mine in four small individual ramekin dishes)

1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons of cinnamon

2 hours before starting the dough, leave the butter on the counter for it to completely come to room-temperature.

Mix 1 cup of sugar with 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and blend thoroughly and set aside.

Butter a muffin pan or spray with baking spray with flour, such as Bakers Joy.

In a stand-mixer with dough-hook (or large bowl with hand-held mixer with dough-hooks), whisk together flours, yeast and salt until blended. Add 130 grams of luke-warm water (around 95F/35C) and knead on low speed for 3 min. The dough should be slightly shaggy and stiff, but if it has difficulty coming together, add the additional 30 grams (2 tbsp) of water and knead again. Then, add the 50 grams of cubed butter and knead on low speed for 5 minutes until completely incorporated. Increase to medium speed and knead for another 10 ~ 15 minutes until the dough is extremely smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes at room-temperature. It should expand slightly.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 4 equal portions. (Use your digital scale to proportion them if you have one). Work with 1 portion at a time covering the rest loosely with plastic wrap. Dust the dough with just enough flour so it doesn't stick, then pat into 1/3" (1 cm) thickness. With a pasta machine at its thickest setting, feed the dough through the machine.

Very lightly dust both the dough with a bit of flour, then start running the dough through the machine, until you reach the thinnest increment (should be very thin but not falling apart). If necessary, cut the dough in half if it gets too long.  On my pasta roller attachment I rolled my dough to the second thinnest setting.  

Lay the very long piece (or two pieces if you had to cut it side by side) on the counter. With your fingers, gently rub a thin layer of the room-temperature butter (has to be very soft but NOT MELTED) evenly across the dough, extending all the way to the edges. A pastry brush may help with this step. Do this to both sections of the dough if you had to cut it in half. Keep in mind that this is a 1/4 of the entire dough and you should use up 1/4 of the butter.

Sprinkle 1/8th cup or so of cinnamon sugar over the buttered dough. 

Once finished, start rolling the dough from one end to the other, as tightly as you can, into a firm log. If you had to cut the dough into two pieces, then place the first log on end of the other buttered section of dough, and roll it up again. Now, cut the log in half cross-wise with a floured knife.  Roll the two cut pieces with your hands on the counter until they are about 6 inches long and then twirl the dough and shape it into a semi-knot and tuck the ends underneath. Place the knots inside buttered muffin-pan. Repeat the process with the other 3 portions of the dough and butter.

Cover the muffin tin loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in size. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F/200C, for about 20 minutes (more or less, depending on your oven) until puffed and golden browned

Note: You can wrap the entire muffin-pan with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge without allowing the dough to rise and bake them the next day.  They may take up to 3 hours or more to rise after being chilled.

Lemon Brunch Cake

I first posted this recipe about three years ago but I felt it was time to do a redux as this lemony cake would be a perfect addition to an Easter brunch.  Perfect for any occasion -  any time of year, actually!  The reason I say brunch cake is this cake has the dense texture of a 'muffin' - very moist and crumbly.

It also has the most luxurious lemon flavor as it is soaked in fresh lemon juice hot from the oven.  It stays amazingly moist 3-4 days after baking.  My husband keeps asking me when I'm going to make it again. He loves a slice after breakfast.

A shower of powdered sugar and some fresh berries is all it needs, and, perhaps a cup of tea or mimosa. I used my new Bavaria bundt pan from Nordic Ware.  I love their bake ware and that is a completely unsolicited comment! Given a good spritz of baking spray with flour, cakes always come out beautifully.

It's been a busy time here with more to come! We celebrated the 3rd birthday of our youngest grandson two weeks ago followed by my birthday this past week.  Next week, it will be my hubby's birthday, then Easter, followed by our oldest daughter's birthday a little over a week later.  Fun times!

My sweetheart took me to my favorite French restaurants for my birthday where I enjoy quail for the first time "Cailles Farcies avec Truffe Noire".  I felt like I was in my favorite foodie movie "Babette's Feast" :-)

Soon it will be April and even more reason to celebrate :)

Lemon Brunch Cake

Adapted from lke's Kitchen Printable Recipe Note:  If you use a bundt pan for this recipe, you will find that the batter only fills up the pan by about 1/2 way or so.  That's okay. This is a smaller (shorter) cake.  3 eggs Zest of 2 lemons 14 tablespoons (200 gr) unsalted butter (softened at room temperature) 1-1/4 cups (250 gr) granulated sugar 1 cup (125 gr) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup (125 gr) Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour - or substitute corn starch 2 teaspoons baking powder Lemon juice from 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup). 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or spray with baking spray with flour such as Baker's Joy brand. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with lemon zest for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add sugar, continue beating until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. In a small bowl, combine the flour, rice flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated and you have a smooth batter. Put the cake in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 325 degrees. Bake for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (this will depend on the size of the pan you use to be sure to do a toothpick check at least 15 minutes earlier). When done, place a cooling rack upside down over the top of the cake pan and carefully flip over using oven mitts. Place the cooling rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar a little at a time so no lumps form and whisk together. Drizzle over the hot cake. Once the cake is cool, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh berries and enjoy! This cake keeps well, covered with plastic wrap for at least three days.

Savory Flower Bread

You may have seen various forms of shaped bread "art" with one braided and twisted bread even lovelier than the next.  There is a beautiful sweet version here on Monique's blog La Table de Nana.  She made a  nutella-filled braided brioche bread which is gorgeous.  

 

Then, I saw a savory version of a twisted bread that looks like a big sunflower on Juliana's blog Color Your Recipes.  She had found it on Passionate ABout Baking but was originally seen on At Down Under. I know that a lot of links but I've been to each one to try and learn how to make this and thought you might appreciate seeing them and the lovely photos too  :)

This bread is a savory version of Hungargian Kalács which is a sweet bread eaten during Easter.  The word Kalács means 'round' or 'wheel'.  

The dough itself is delicious with garlic and Parmesan cheese mixed in.  Then, I filled it with chopped green onions, Greek yogurt, grated Jarlsberg and Parmesan cheeses mixed with spicy horseradish mustard, red pepper flakes, and Penzey's Pizza Seasoning (which is a blend of oregano and other herbs).  I can imagine this bread made with chopped, cured meats and other cheeses and seasonings. You could use any kind of seed or even pine nuts in the center.  Let your imagination and taste buds be your muse!

 
I used Passionate About Baking's adaptation of the dough recipe which I found easy to make and work with.  Color Your Recipes has a great, detailed tutorial on how to do the shaping of the bread.   

This would make a delicious Easter appetizer/finger food and the flower shape makes it perfect for spring time. Happy Spring and Enjoy!

Savory Braided Flower Bread

Adapted from At Down Under and Passionate About Baking
Printable Recipe

Dough:
2-1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup-packed (25g) grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1-3/4 cup (200g) milk, lukewarm
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon (15ml) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
3 Tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Filling: (The filling is very versatile so use any cheese and seasonings/herbs of your choice, including chopped, cured meat such as pancetta or bacon)

3 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
8 ounces of shredded cheese or your choice (I used Jarlsberg and Parmesan)
3 small green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons spicy horseradish mustard or Dijon
1 teaspoon Penzey's Pizza seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil and marjoram)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 beaten egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, for wash
2 tablespoons seeds for decor in center of bread

Place the flour, Parmesan cheese, yeast and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse on high speed to mix. Add the milk, cloves, garlic and yogurt and pulse to blend. Remove dough from food processor and knead on a floured surface to a smooth dough - about 5 minutes.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or dish towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes, then knead in the olive oil. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, seal with plastic wrap and allow to double in rise in a warm place.

Assembly:

Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 390F (200C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On the lightly floured surface, roll one half into an 12″ circle. Transfer the circle to the baking sheet and roll out the other piece of dough to the same size. Spread the filling ingredients on the baking sheet dough and then cover with the second circle of dough and press down gently, trying as best you can to fit them together evenly.

Place a small glass in the center and press down gently (I used the cover to a small round butter dish). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough around the glass evenly into 4 sections, then cut each section into another 4 sections. You should have 16 sections.

Gently lift each spoke and twist it 3 times. Brush over with milk gently and sprinkle melon seeds over the center. {You can always brush with a beaten egg to get a beautiful glow. I wanted to keep the bread vegetarian}.

Remove the glass in the center and brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Arrange sunflower seeds in the center where the glass was.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Rice Krispie Treats

Several years ago I bought a vintage German hen mold on eBay.  My intention was to eventually fill it with melted chocolate for an Easter centerpiece.  The huge opening at the bottom and the sides that don't quite fit tightly together made me too afraid to waste perfectly good chocolate so I've only used it for display. Maybe one day I'll find a solution to my melted chocolate dilemma.

When I saw a recipe on Tastespotting for chocolate Rice Krispie treats I figured this would be the next best thing. Mind you, these aren't wimpy chocolate treats make from cocoa puffed cereal.  These are rich, dark chocolate-infused treats sprinkled with sea salt and suitable for adult enjoyment right along with the kids! The recipe made enough to fill my mold plus enough to spread in a small pan and make bunny cut-outs which I dotted with pink frosting for the eyes and will put in cello bags for my grandsons' Easter baskets.

As you can see, she is still a fine figure of a hen even though the krispie treats don't show off all of her details :-)

These treats come together very quickly, so you still have plenty of time to make them! Use your favorite Easter cookie cutter after they have cooled slightly or simply cut them into squares. 

Dark Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Adapted from Serious Eats

Printable Recipe

Either a 9x13-inch or two 8x8 pans will work for this recipe, depending one how thick you like them.

Serves 9
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 1/2 ounces (one bag, about 5 cups) marshmallows
7-8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped  (I used Ghiradelli 60% Bittersweet)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 cups puffed rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Lightly grease pan with butter. In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add salt, marshmallows, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa, and melt, stirring frequently. Stir in vanilla.

Fold in puffed rice cereal until completely coated. Fold in bittersweet chocolate. Immediately spread into pan. Gently smooth top with spatula and sprinkle evenly with salt.

Let sit until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Bunny Buns

I saw these adorable rolls on Pinterest last week.  I knew my young grandsons would love to see these on the Easter table next weekend and I think they will bring a smile to the adults too :)

I did a test run on Saturday - which did not go well. First, the dough did not rise very well,  then I over-baked them!  "Add insult to injury" as they say. 

Sunday, I tried them again with different yeast and made sure my timer was set (and actually running).  Success!  I only wish I had made the ears a little longer as I think they could be mistaken for mice.  By the time I make these for dinner next weekend, I think I'll have all of the wrinkles worked out :-)

The idea for the bunny buns shape came from this blog.  I decided instead to use a recipe for egg buns formulated for bread machines which I found in my copy of  Bread Machine Magic.  They are really good! Just the right amount of buttery sweetness and soft and fluffy in the center.

In preparation for Easter, the decorations have come out of storage (some old, a couple new) and eggs have been colored.  Spring has teased us with some lovely days and even some Easter-y outdoor flowers! (We won't talk about the snow in forecast later today.)

I hope this spring season of birth and renewal brings you joy!  Happy Easter!

 

Bunny Buns

Adapted from Bread Machine Magic
Printable Recipe

Makes 16 Bunny Buns or 18 Regular Buns

1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, mixed together lightly
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons active, dry yeast (I used quick rising yeast)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Please a large piece of parchment paper or silicone liner on a 18 x 13 inch baking pan (half sheet).

Place all ingredients except egg wash egg, into bread machine in the order recommended by your bread machine. Select the Dough cycle and press Start.

When the dough cycle is finished (my machine takes about 1-1/2 hours), turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gentle roll and stretch the dough into an 18-inch rope. With a sharp knife or bench scraper cut the dough first into 6 pieces and then cut each of those pieces into 3 pieces. Each piece should weight about 1 ounce if you have a digital scale.

For bunny buns, roll 16 pieces into a ball and then stretch slightly (2 pieces of dough are reserved for the 'ears' and/or 'tails', if desired.) Place on the prepared baking sheet. For the bunny shape, I squeezed one third of the ball between my thumb and forefinger to form the head area. To make the ears, pull off a small piece of one of the reserved dough pieces and roll it into a thin rope about 4-5 inches long. Cut the rope in half and bend each piece into an 'ear' and place between the head and body. With a toothpick dipped in flour, press the base of the ears firmly into the dough to keep them in place. Then, poke two eye holes deep into the head with the toothpick. Continue with the rest of the dough balls.

When finished, covered the pan lightly with a tea towel or parchment paper and allow to rise until doubled - about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Brush rolls lightly with beaten egg/water wash and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

May be served warm or cold.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Peep Nests!

I get so many recipes by email  - blogs,  news feeds, news feeds linked to other bloggers, Pinterest, etc..  This recipe was one of those news feeds which linked to this lovely blog. I thought the idea was  adorable. Peeps nestled in chocolate nests and surrounded by candy eggs. 

The recipe called for the usual chow mein noodles mixed with chocolate chips and butterscotch or peanut butter chips.  Mmmm, peanut butter chips - that caught my attention. I thought sweet and salty would be a great combination and, since I've done the chow mein noodle nests before, pretzels might be a good nesting choice!  Or wait, remember shoestring potatoes in a big can?  I had to give both a try.

The marshmallow peeps in the first photo were made with shoestring potatoes and the marzipan bird nests were made with thin pretzels? I found both the marzipan birds and super thin pretzels at World Market. The cashier who waited on me said the super thin pretzels always sell out as soon as they get them in. They are good :)

   

Which would taste best? For me, the pretzels won by a very narrow margin. So, if you can't find super thin pretzels, try shoestring potatoes if you also like the idea of sweet and salty together.

To keep chocolate from melting on little fingers, I'll be packing these in cellophane wrapping for Easter gifting to my favorite peeps :)

Happy Easter and Passover, everyone!!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Nests for Easter

Adapted from Chef in Training Printable Recipe Makes 6 nests 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips) 1 cup peanut butter chips 1 cup thin pretzels crushed or shoestring potatoes crushed Small candy eggs (I used M&M Easter peanut butter eggs) Peeps or Marzipan Chicks Melt chocolate and peanut butter chips together in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until completed melted. Stir in crushed thin pretzel sticks or shoestring potatoes. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. (I used non-stick muffin tins and also sprayed them with Baker's Joy) Drop by spoonfuls into a greased muffin tin and mold into nest shapes with a spoon. Place Peeps or marzipan figures and candy eggs in nests while still warm. Refrigerate for at least one hour or more until completely set. Run a very thin knife around the edge of the nests to lift and remove from the tin.  If a piece breaks, you can always melt a little more chocolate to glue it back on.