Easter Hopping Bunnies Sweet Buns and Resurrection Buns

We had some fun today, made Hopping Bunnies and Resurrection Buns.  I have been very slack in my photo taking for, well, the past year and a half?  So this is what we've got.

So often we try to steer away from all the "sugar junk" that inevitably comes along with holidays, but whenever we have cut it out completely, there is always a feeling of "no celebration".  So...

Let the children get creative!

Anxiously awaiting the timer and a fresh hopping bunny!

YUM!

Resurrection buns...easy to make and have a great surprise inside!

Braids, Bunnies, Mickey Mouse, Kitty Cat, and something that looks like a snail?

 Hopping Bunnies Sweet Dough Recipe

1 Cup Scalded Milk                                1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Warm Water                                 2 Tbsp. Grated Orange Peel
1/3 Cup Sugar                                         5 to 6 cups White Flour
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Tsp. Salt                                              GLAZE:   2 Cups Icing Sugar
2 Eggs                                                                      1 Tsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Yeast                                                           1/4 Cup Hot Water

Scald milk with shortening.
Mix Yeast with 2 cups flour.
Add Milk with shortening, water, sugar, salt, eggs, orange juice and peel.
Add in enough flour to make a non-sticky dough.   ( I used my Bosch and did a double batch easily)
Let rise until Doubled.
Divide dough in half.  Roll into rectangles approx. 15 inches long.
Cut strips about 1/2 inch wide.  Roll or twist into ropes and then either do a FIGURE 8 shape and add a round tail OR Twist into a round spiral, then into a smaller round spiral for the head.  Add ears and a tail.  OR DO WHATEVER!
Let rise again, but watch to make sure they are not getting all wonky looking.  We did a double batch, and by the time the last ones were okay to go in, they still looked good.    Just keep baking as you design the rest.  You can also make triangles and roll them into Butterhorn or Crescent shapes.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.   Brush with glaze while still warm,
OR make a butter cream or cream cheese frosting to put on them.

Resurrection Buns

Take a square of dough (or Pillsbury Dough Boy brand).  Get a Large Marshmallow. (Jesus)  Roll this in oil (like anointing of Jesus, etc)  Put in the centre of your dough.  Roll it up and seal it well.  Let rise and bake.
When it's baked, cut it down the middle ~ SURPRISE ~ Where did Jesus go?  He rose from the dead, the tomb is empty!  All that is left is the sweet promise of salvation and all that Jesus gives us!

Now as you know, we have some GLUTEN FREE folks in our family, so we're not going to leave them out!  Tomorrow we will make the Gluten Free Paska recipe from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Cookbook click HERE for RECIPE
I'll let you know how they turn out!