Easter Bunny Rolls (Bread Machine)

These rolls are a perfect addition to any Easter brunch! This recipe makes about 20 bunny rolls. Once they are cooled completely, they can be place in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 weeks. Simply remove them from the freezer 3-4 hours before serving.

Easter Bunny Rolls

Recipe from Budget Gourmet Mom and adapted for a bread machine

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

3/4 tsp ground cardamom or allspice

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbls finely shredded orange peel

1/4 cup orange juice

Orange Frosting

1 1/2 cups sifted powder sugar

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

2 - 3 Tbls orange juice

Instructions

In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, the butter, the 1/3 cup sugar, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Pour mixture into the bread machine.

In a large mixing bowl combine 4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and cardamom.

Add beaten orange juice, orange peel and egg to the milk mixture. Next, add the flour mix to the bread machine. Be careful not to scramble your eggs. This shouldn't happen if you add the egg after the orange juice. 

Set bread machine to the “Pizza Dough” setting for a 2 lb loft. The “Pizza Dough” cycle will take 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Divide dough into roll each 2 sections. Working with one section at a time, divide it into 12 small balls. Roll each ball into a rope 12 inches long.

Set aside 2 of the 12 inch ropes to be used for tails.

On one of the lightly greased cookie sheets, overlap one end of strip over the other to form a loop; bring the end that's underneath up over the top end, letting one end extend on each side to make ears. Pat tips of ears to shape in point. Repeat with the other 9 ropes.

With remaining 2 ropes of dough make 10 small balls of dough for the tails. Moisten ball and place atop dough at bottom of loop. Press tails onto dough.

Repeat with remaining dough making 10 more bunnies.

After shaping, cover and let rise until nearly double (30 to 45 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degree F. Bake small bunnies 11 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. Frost while warm with orange icing, if desired.

Icing:

In a small bowl combine 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange. For Orange Icing, stir in enough orange juice (2 to 3 tablespoons) to make of drizzling consistency.