Easter Bunny Brioches

The main day of German Easter celebrations is Easter Sunday. For Christians it is a time for the whole family to get together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the end of the Lent with a festive meal. A more festive breakfast is often on the menu since families have more time to relax and enjoy a more leisurely brunch-type meal after the children have exhausted themselves looking for Ostereier from the Osterhase!

A traditional Easter meal consists of lamb, which represents innocence and humbleness, accompanied with fresh vegetables and potatoes. Festive cakes are, of course, also a staple ingredient for a Easter Sunday afternoon "Kaffee und Kuchen."

Ingredients:

4 ounces butter
1 cube fresh yeast
2 tablespoons tepid milk
20 ounces flour
3 ounces sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cream
a few raisins
5 ounces confectioners' sugar
a little water

Preparation:

Melt butter and allow to cool. Break up the yeast and dissolve in the tepid milk. Put the flour, sugar, 4 eggs, salt and the melted butter into a bowl and pour in the milk with the dissolved yeast. Using a food processor with a dough hook, knead the ingredients together to a smooth dough for about 5 minutes. Cover and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

Knead the dough again on a surface dusted with flour. To make the bunny, make 6 larger tennis-ball sized rounds for the body and 6 smaller rounds for the head. Make ears and arms out of the rest of the dough.

Assemble the bunnies on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Mix the egg yolk with the cream and brush the surface of the bunnies with the mixture using a pastry brush. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar with a little water and fill a plastic sandwich or freezer bag with the mixture. Cut a corner off the end of the bag. Squeeze out the glaze to glue raisins as eyes and noses and to pipe whiskers on the bunny.