Bunny Hot Cross Buns
Celebrate Easter with this adorable twist on a classic! These bunny hot cross buns are packed with flavor from spices & citrus peel. And adorable fondant bunnies and carrots make this baked treat almost too cute to eat!
Ingredients
Hot Cross Bun Dough
- ¾ cup whole milk or non-dairy milk
- 2½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 3 cardamom pods, broken open
- 1 star anise
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- zest 1 orange OR 1 lemon
- 2¼ teaspoon (one packet) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 large eggs, divided
- ¼ cup (one stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup mixed dried fruit like raisins, candied citron, etc.
Cross for the Buns
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup water
Bunnies and Carrots
- fondant
- orange and green food coloring
Instructions
Mix the Dough
- In a small saucepan, add the milk, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom pods and star anise. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, then remove from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes to infuse the milk with the spices.Strain the whole spices from the milk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, remaining ground spices, citrus zest, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Add the water to the infused milk. Whisk in 2 eggs. Add the milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Knead the dough either with a dough hook in a stand mixer for 8 minutes or by hand in the bowl for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the softened butter to the dough and continue to knead until the butter is incorporated. The dough might be pretty wet at this point - that's okay.
- Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and set in a warm place (like the oven with the light on) to rise until the dough doubles in size, between 1½ - 3 hours.
Shape the Dough Buns
- Lightly grease a 10-inch by 10-inch (or something similar) baking dish.
- Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a generously floured work surface. Roughly roll out the dough and scatter the dried fruit. Roll the dough up like a log, then knead it for another minute, until the fruit is well distributed.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and shape them into dough balls. Place the dough balls evenly spaced out in the greased baking dish, and cover with plastic cling wrap. Let proof at room temperature until doubled in size, between 1 to 2 hours.
Shape the Fondant Bunnies, Carrots and Leaves
- Use a small handful of fondant at a time, and keep the rest in an airtight container to prevent it from drying and hardening. Use un-dyed (white) fondant to shape the bunny pieces.Dye a handful of fondant orange by kneading orange food dye into the fondant. Then shape it into small cones for the carrots. Dye a handful of fondant green by kneading green food dye into the fondant. Then shape it into the carrot tops and leaves. Use a tiny bit of water to secure each piece together. See blog post above for further tips to shape and assemble the bunnies, carrots and leaves.
Cross and Bake the Buns
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush it on the buns.
- To make the dough for the crosses, whisk the all-purpose flour and water together in a small bowl. Transfer it into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off. Pipe into a small cross on each bun.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the buns are golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before topping with your fondant shapes. If you add the fondant onto hot or warm buns, the fondant will melt into a gooey mess.Enjoy!
Notes
- The dough is super wet when it's left to rise for the first time. This is okay! Don't add more flour, just let it rise in the mixing bowl.
- The dough is extremely soft and airy when the dried fruit it mixed into it. You'll punch out a lot of air while mixing in the dried fruit, but don't worry. It'll rise again after it's shaped and left in the baking dish to rise the second time.
- Use a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off to pipe the crosses onto the buns in clean, straight lines.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bunCalories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 248mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 211IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
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