Pasca

Continued from the Easter Bread Series:




Pasca (Romanian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 tsp sugar

Filling:

2 cups cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon extract

2 eggs

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside. 

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into. 

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture.  Place each dough inside of a 10" springform pan.  (Or, you can freeze one braid and 1/2 the filling mixture to make one loaf.)

Preheat oven 425F.  

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon extract and eggs.  Beat on medium until smooth.  Pour 1/2 the mixture into the center of each braid in the springform pans.
Mix the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.  

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and brown.

Easy Resurrection Rolls

Continued from the Easter Bread Series:


Note:  I know many folks scoff at the idea of canned crescent rolls and store-bought marshmallows.  If  you are one of these scoffers, please feel free to substitute in your favorite recipes here.  I cannot guarantee the success of your endeavors, but I wish you luck nonetheless.

I've served these at Easter one time and I used it as an appetizer prepared by myself and my lovely young nieces and nephews.  The ease of this recipe, I found, kept their attention better and was a stress-free and fun way to learn about Easter.

Also, I rarely condone going overboard with appetizers and snack foods unless they are the focal point of your meal or get-together.  Most people only eat 1-2 pieces of any snacks at a party, and they're usually more interested in a natural, gourmet entree, anyway.  But, like I said, feel free to go nuts with your recipe!





Easy Resurrection Rolls

1 can crescent rolls
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Large marshmallows





Preheat oven 350F.

Pour melted butter into one small bowl, and combine cinnamon and sugar into another small bowl.

Roll out the crescent roll dough into a flat square.  Cut the dough in squares large enough to contain one of the marshmallows.

Take one marshmallow, and dip in butter.  Follow with a quick roll in cinnamon sugar.

Place marshmallow in crescent roll dough.  I close mine with pinched edges on top, similar to a potsticker.

Bake according to crescent roll can directions.

The marshmallow will melt inside the crescent dough leave an empty center.

Hot Cross Buns

Continued from the Easter Bread Series:




Hot Cross Buns (Australian Easter Rolls)

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins

1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Paste:

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp sugar

Combine milk, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in Pumpkin Pie Spice and raisins.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and roll dough into 12 equal-sized rolls.

Form each into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet.  Let rise an additional hour.  

Preheat oven 350F.  Make a paste from the flour, sugar and water and pipe a cross onto the top of each bun.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Glaze as desired.  The most common is a simple sugar glaze, but I've also had these buns with lemon-flavored glazes and cream cheese frosting.  Be creative!

Cinnamon Sugar Kringel

Continued from the Easter Bread Series:




Kringel (Estonian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm

1 packages active dry yeast

4 cups flour

1 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 eggs

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp crushed almonds

1 tbsp cinnamon

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in almond extract.

In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a flat square.  Spread butter mixture over the square.  Roll the dough up like a swiss roll.   Roll the dough out a bit with your hands to make it thinner and longer.  Cut the roll in half length-wise, so that a strata of cinnamon sugar and dough is present down the length of the roll.  Face the dough cut side up, and begin rolling the two ropes of dough together, trying to keep the cut side to the outside at all times.

Top with more of the crushed almonds if desired.

Preheat oven 350F.  

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and light brown.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Pinca

Continued from our Easter Bread Series:

Pinca (Croatian Easter Bread)

1 cup milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

1 tbsp orange zest

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3 tbsp dark rum

In a saute pan, combine rum and raisins over medium-low heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the raisins have softened.  

Combine milk, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in orange zest, lemon zest and vanilla extract.  Add raisins.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Let rise an additional hour.

Place each dough half onto a greased cookie sheet. 

Preheat oven 325F.  

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

In a saute pan, combine rum, sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Completely dissolve the sugar to form a simple syrup.  Pour over the loaves of bread before serving.

Choreg

From the Easter Bread series:

Choreg (Armenian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm

1 packages active dry yeast

4 cups flour

1 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1/2 tsp ground mahlepi

1/2 tsp ground anise

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white

1 tsp sugar

Sesame seeds

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in mahlepi, anise, and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside.

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into.

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture.

Preheat oven 425F.  

Mix the egg white and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.  Top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and light brown.

Babka

Continued from our Easter Bread Series:





Babka (Polish Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup  sugar 
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp rum





Combine milk, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in lemon zest, honey and vanilla extract.  Add raisins.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  

Form each into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet.  Let rise an additional hour.

Preheat oven 325F.  

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.


In a sauce pan, combine rum, sugar and water over medium heat and bring to boil.  Let all the sugar dissolve to form a simple syrup.  Pour over the finished loaves before serving.

Kulich

Continued from our Easter Bread Series:





Kulich (Russian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp Confectioner's sugar
2 tsp milk




In a saute pan, combine vodka and raisins over medium-low heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the raisins have softened.  

Combine milk, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in cinnamon, honey and vanilla extract.  Add raisins.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Let rise an additional hour.

Place each dough half into a large, greased and floured aluminum can (I used 14oz.  pumpkin puree tins).  

Preheat oven 325F.  

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Mix Confectioner's sugar and milk for glaze.  Pour over the cooled loaf and add sprinkles, if desired.

Italian Easter Bread

Continued from our Easter Bread series:

Another Easter bread for you to consider serving at your family gathering.

I'm partial to this mostly because the ingredients are easy to find and the pastel colors are much closer to the way I decorate for Easter!  The color of the bread is paler because the egg wash is white-based, not yolk-based, but it still has that classic chewy crust!




Italian Easter Bread

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 tsp sugar
Pastel-dyed hard boiled eggs
Sprinkles (pastel-colored)

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside. 

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into. 

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Place a couple hard-boiled eggs in the braid as you go.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture. 

Preheat oven 425F.  

Mix the egg white and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.  Dust with a layer of sprinkles.

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and brown.

Tsoureki

I just got over St. Patrick's Day.

Now, I'm onto Easter.

And, boy, am I on it good!

Specifically, I've been googling and pinteresting my way through a cultural Easter bread adventure.  It seems there's an Easter bread from every corner of Europe as well as a couple from other continents.

I've never really been much of a bread maker.  Eater, yes.  But maker, not so much.  I've done it, but the whole kneading and rising thing is not my thing.  I like instant gratification and bread just takes one too many hours.

However, that wasn't going to stop me from getting into a bread kind of mood when I saw so many different kinds of Easter bread to try.  In fact, some breads were made simultaneously.

This first bread is the Greek version.  Known as tsoureki, this loaf is dense and eggy with an deliciously  chewy crust.

This bread is mouthwatering and I can only assume the rest of this Easter Bread series will be just as sensational!





Tsoureki

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp mahlepi
1/2 tsp mastic
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 tsp sugar
Red-dyed hard boiled eggs



Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in mahlepi, mastic, orange zest and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside.

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into.

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Place a couple red hard-boiled eggs in the braid as you go.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture.

Preheat oven 425F.  

Mix the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and brown.