These fruity, bunny ear-shaped sweet buns are filled with dried cranberries and topped with roasted strawberries. Use the cinnamon-cardamom icing for an extra-sweet way to accentuate the bunny ear shape.
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
3 hr 20 min
Yield
4 buns
Ingredients
Roasted Strawberries
1 lb strawberry (455 g), stemmed and quartered
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon whole milk, plus more as needed
Bunny Ear Buns
2 ⅔ cups bread flour (465 g), plus more for dusting
¾ cup dried cranberries (95 g)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 g)
1 packet instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
⅓ cup whole milk (80 g)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
4 large eggs, divided
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
Nutrition Info
Calories 675
Fat 8g
Carbs 133g
Fiber 5g
Sugar 75g
Protein 18g
How to Make It
1. Step
Make the roasted strawberries: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Step
In a glass 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 cm) baking dish, toss together the strawberries, sugar, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Step
Roast until the strawberries are tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the vanilla. Let cool completely. Strain the strawberries from the syrup before using.
4. Step
Make the icing: In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and milk until a thick paste forms, adding another splash of milk if needed. Transfer to a small piping bag or zip-top bag. Snip the tip just before piping.
5. Step
Make the bunny ear buns: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cranberries, sugar, yeast, and salt.
6. Step
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Warm over medium-low heat until the butter melts completely. Stir in the vanilla bean seeds.
7. Step
Pour the warm butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Add 3 eggs and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
8. Step
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a clean large bowl lightly greased with nonstick spray, cover, and let rest until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
9. Step
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Step
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Take 2 pieces of dough and roll each into a log, about 8 inches long. Place the logs on a prepared baking sheet and connect one end of each in a “V” shape. Repeat with 6 more pieces of dough, to create 4 “V” shapes, 2 per baking sheet.
11. Step
Flatten each of the remaining 4 pieces of dough into a small oval, about 4 inches in diameter. Place each oval over the connected ends of each “V”. Cover the dough bunnies with clean kitchen towels and let rest for about 15 minutes.
12. Step
Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl, then brush all over the bunnies. Reserve the leftover egg. Let the dough rest, rising 1 ½ times its original size, for another 15 minutes.
13. Step
Brush the bunnies all over with egg wash again. Using your fingers, press firmly to create indentations down the center of each log; these will be the inside of the bunny ears. Spoon enough roasted strawberries into each ear cavity to fill completely, about 2 tablespoons each.
14. Step
Bake until the bread is shiny and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
15. Step
Once cool, squeeze the icing around the strawberry filling to outline the ears.
