These adorable, festive Easter breads have been a tradition in my family for as far back as anyone can remember. My great Aunt Sylvia, who was a Master Baker and originally from Abruzzi, is the one we remember as the inventor of these breads . My Aunt Carol (Her daughter) thinks it must have a connection to traditional Italian Easter Breads that were blessed at church. However the bunnies themselves were always intended for children and were never blessed at church. She is not sure where the recipe came from, but Aunt Sylvia and her sisters always made them, and now, so do we!
They are an event to make, so give yourself an afternoon to make them. They are cute and so memorable! Make them a tradition in your family too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ Cup of Scalded Milk
1 Cup Sugar
3 Packs Dried Yeast
1 Cup Melted Butter
6 Cups Flour
4 Eggs
½ tsp Salt

Mini Chocolate Chips
1 TBS Milk
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
1 Drop Red Food Coloring

METHOD:

To Make Dough:
Pour scalded milk over sugar in a large bowl. Put yeast in 1 TBS cold water.
When sugar and milk are lukewarm dissolve yeast in it. Stir in 3 Cups of Flour and mix well. Let sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it is full of bubbles.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add salt and melted butter and beaten eggs to the yeast mixture. Blend well. Add remaining flour to mixture. You will now have sticky, soft dough. Spread melted butter over dough. Cover this with a tea towel in a large bowl and let rise for 1 ½ hours.

After it has risen, punch dough down and roll bunnies.

Take about a golf ball sized chunk of dough in your floured palms and using both palms roll dough into an 8-inch long pencil-thin rope of uniform thickness.

Tie in a knot, pull ends up – these are your bunny’s ears. Then flip over and place on cookie sheet about an inch apart. Roll out entire dough in this fashion. Put chocolate chip eyes in.

Let it rise again for 1 hour, covered with towel. Bunnies will double in size.

Push eyes back in and bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes or until bottoms are brown.
Let bunnies cool.

To Make Icing:
Mix ½ of the confectioner’s sugar with ½ of the milk in a small bowl.
Add 1 drop of red food coloring to this.
In another small bowl, mix remaining milk and confectioner’s sugar.
Ice bunnies’ ears with the white icing and make noses from the pink icing!

Now your bunnies are finished!