Brioche bunnies

On Easter, as well as on any other day of the year, this sweet bread bunnies are a great project to make with the little ones in the house. Aside from being very yummy, they’re so cute you will not want to actually eat them! And if you’re in a hurry, you can just shape them like dinner rolls and enjoy them as a side to your meal or with a dollop of Nutella at snack time...

Ingredients

DOUGH

• 220 g whole milk

• 11 g dry active yeast

• 80 g caster sugar

• 80 g unsalted butter, cubed

• 500 g plain flour

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 1 tsp orange blossoms extract

• ½ tsp salt

TOPPINGS

• 8 chocolate chips or pearl sugar (for the bunny eyes)

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbs whole milk or heavy cream

• White pearl sugar or shredded coconut (for the bunny tails)

Method

With Thermomix

1. Pour milk and yeast in the mixing bowl and warm 2 Min. / 37°C / Speed 2;

2. Add in sugar, butter, flour, egg, orange blossoms extract and salt then knead 2 Min. / Kneading function;

Without Thermomix

1. Combine yeast with room temperature milk and and let rest until it bubbles (you may add a tsp of honey which will help activate the yeast);

2. Form a volcano with the flour and mix in the activated yeast and milk. Add in egg, sugar and orange blossom extract and keep on mixing with the help of a wooden spoon. When the dough starts coming together add in salt and butter. Keep on working the dough with your hands until all ingredients are combined (this will take 3 to 5 minutes);
   

3. Transfer dough into a large bowl, cover and leave to rise for one hour or until doubled in size;

4. Place the dough onto a lightly dusted countertop and flatten down to remove any air bubble. Cut the dough into 2 pieces then cut the first half into 8 pieces weighing around 80/83 g. Take the remaining dough and cut about 2/3 of the dough into 8 smaller pieces weighing around 38/40 g each and the remaining 1/3 into 8 tiny pieces weighing around 15 g. These will make your bunnies’ bodies, heads and tails;

5. Bunny body: Roll out the largest pieces into long sausages and roll each one up into a snail. Place these onto a large baking tray lined with parchment paper;

6. Bunny head and tail: Form the smaller pieces into a thick sausage and set aside. These will be the bunny heads. Then shape the smallest pieces into tiny balls to form the tails;

7. Egg wash: Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the milk or cream. Whisk until just combined;

8. Final assembly: Brush a bit of egg wash onto the top side of the body, attach the head, then brush some egg wash on the back side of the bunny and attach the tail. Using scissors, cut into the back of the bunny head about halfway to make the ears, then perform a smaller cut onto the front of the bunny body to make the paws. Brush the remaining egg wash onto the bunnies. To make the eye, decorate each bunny face with a raisin or, if using pearl sugar or chocolate chips, perform a little hole with a knife or with a straw (you will place the eye later on, once the bunnies are baked). Sprinkle white sugar sprinkles or coconut over the tail;

9. Leave to rise covered for 30 minutes, then bake at 200 C / 190 C Fan for about 18 minutes or until golden brown.*

*Little tip: if baked through, your buns should sound hollow when tapped.