Today’s Recipe: Hot Cross Bunnies

I meant to run Ashley’s hot cross bunnies recipe this morning so you’d have time to work it into your Easter menu. I’ll leave the chili up just in case someone saw the luscious photos and decided it was perfect for Saturday night’s movie fest.

HOT CROSS BUNNIES
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS 2 HOURS, 15 MINUTES RISING
COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
MAKES: 16 BUNNIES

1½  cups buttermilk
¼    cup honey
1     t salt
1     packet active dry yeast
3 1/3 cups flour, divided, plus more for dusting
¼    cup golden raisins
2     T dried cranberries
1     orange
1     t butter, melted
1     egg white
2     t water
2     ozs cream cheese, softened
¼    cup powdered sugar
2     t milk

1. In a small saucepan, heat buttermilk, honey, and salt over low heat. When the mixture is warm (it shouldn’t feel hot if you place a drop on the back of your wrist), stir in the yeast and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, add 3 cups of flour, raisins and dried cranberries. Zest the rind of the orange into the bowl with the flour. Stir to combine.
3. Slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture. Continue to mix until a sticky dough forms, then sprinkle in the remaining flour.
4. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes; dust the dough with flour, place in a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.
5. After rising, lightly butter a cookie sheet. Punch the dough down and shape into 16 ovals. Using kitchen shears, cut two ears at the top of each oval. Make a depression in each ear with a toothpick, and poke two eyes in each bunny. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk egg white and water together. Remove plastic wrap from buns and brush with the egg mixture. Bake buns for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a cooling rack.
7. To prepare the icing, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe an X onto each roll.

Gather ingredients.

Add 1½ cups of buttermilk to a small saucepan.

Add ¼ cup of honey.

Add 1 t of salt.

Heat the buttermilk mixture over low heat. When the mixture is warm (it shouldn’t feel hot if you place a drop on the back of your wrist), stir in 1 package of active dry yeast and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

Add 3 cups of flour, ¼ cup of golden raisins and 2 T of dried cranberries to a medium bowl.

Zest the rind of 1 orange into the bowl with the flour. Stir to combine.

Slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture.

Continue to mix until a sticky dough forms, then sprinkle in the remaining 1/3 cup of flour. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes.

Dust the dough with flour, place in a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.

After rising, lightly butter a cookie sheet with 1 t of melted butter.

Punch the dough down and shape into 16 ovals. Then, use kitchen shears cut two ears at the top of each oval.

Make a depression in each ear with a toothpick.

Poke two eyes in each bunny with the tip of a toothpick.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add 2 t of water to 1 egg white and whisk together.

Remove plastic wrap from bunnies and brush with the egg mixture. Bake buns for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

To prepare the icing, add 2 ozs of cream cheese to a small bowl. Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Add 2 t of milk. Stir to combine, transfer to a pastry bag and pipe an X onto each roll.

Enjoy!

Making these bunnies is a great activity for Easter! Have you met our funny bunnies? These three in particular, had some personality when they emerged.

Meet (from left to right) kitty bunny, curious bunny, and sad bunny. Happy Easter!