Blue Ribbon Baking

Bunny Rolls

Here is the recipe Marjore made with Belinda on Kare 11 on April 7, 2007

If you have small children they can help with making the bunnies. I have done this with my 4 grandchildren and they loved it. Any child who has the dexterity to work with play dough can use this yeast dough to make bunnies. The bunnies can be made small for individual servings or larger for display bunnies. I made these with Rosie on her Rosie O'Donnell show. The food stylist, Katy Keck, made two big bunnies that were so cute, one even had a tiny pair of glasses. They were used for the display on our demonstration table. I also made these with Wayne Brady on his talk show.

1 cup water (105F-115 F. degrees)
1/3 cup dry milk
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 1/2-4 cups flour
1 egg slightly beaten (to brush over bunny rolls just before baking)

Place in an electric mixer bowl the water and yeast. Let stand for a few minutes till the yeast is dissolved. Add dry milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups of the flour. Blend together on low speed then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add rest of flour and knead with bread hooks or by hand to make a soft smooth elastic dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover, let rise in a warm place about 80 degrees till double in bulk.

Punch down, let rise again till double. Punch down and make into bunnies.

Take about 3 oz. of the dough and take part of it and make a ball and press down for the body on a greased cooking sheet. Take a smaller piece of the dough for the head.

Take 6 smaller pieces of dough, make balls and use two for the front paws and put next to the side of the body part. Put 2 at the end of the body part and then put 2 by the head to form the ears, shaping the pieces of dough to point at one end to look like bunny ears. .

Currants or raisins may be used for the eyes and nose. A small piece of candied cherry for the mouth. Cover and let rise till double Just before baking brush with the beaten egg. That gives it a golden brown color when baked. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet. Brush with butter and place on wire rack to cool..

Makes about 1 dozen bunnies.