Fluffy brioche Easter Bunny Doughnuts are a fun dessert that everyone will love! Leave them plain or stuff them with your favourite fillings.
During this time of year, I like to create fun recipes, specifically ones that I know will be loved by the kids. I personally find that this time of year, with all the bright colours and cute characters, makes it extra special for the little ones. Last year I had made Chocolate Stuffed Bunny Buns, and as my eldest adored them. For this year, I wanted to do something similar, thus, I made these simple no fuss Easter Bunny Doughnuts. With time being limited, I wanted to keep things quick and easy. For the shape, I used a larger shaped cookie cutter and decorated them with sugar, melted chocolate and chocolate candy.
How to make the brioche dough?
The recipe for these brioche doughnuts is quite straightforward, however you need patience in order for the dough to produce enough gluten in it, which will then become a light and fluffy doughnut. Activate the yeast by mixing it with warm milk and sugar, letting it sit until foamy. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, and salt, then knead into a soft dough before gradually incorporating butter and kneading until smooth and elastic. Let the dough rise until doubled, then roll it out, cut into shapes, and allow them to rest again. Ideally, the dough is worked in a stand mixer with a dough hook and is left to knead for a while so that this gluten develops. So as to check whether the dough is ready to be let to rest, I recommend to use the windowpane test.
What is the windowpane test?
For a perfect fluffy doughnut, you need to make sure that the dough has passed the windowpane test. To carry out the windowpane test, take a small amount of dough and hold it with both hands (using the thumbs and first two fingers). Gently, spread open your hands so to stretch the dough. Keep stretching gently until the centre part of the dough is translucent. If the dough doesn’t break that means that the gluten has developed and you can prepare your dough for the rising part. However, if the dough breaks easily when you open your fingers, the gluten hasn’t yet fully developed. Therefore, transfer the dough ball back to the main dough and let it knead for more minutes. Try again until the dough passes the windowpane test.
FAQs
How to store these doughnuts?
Ideally these doughnuts are eaten the same day that they are fried. However, you can store the doughnuts in an airtight container for not more than 2 days. I like to slightly warm them up before serving if they are day old leftovers.
Easter Bunny Doughnuts
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGHNUTS:
- 400 g strong bread flour
- 170 ml milk lukewarm
- 45 g sugar
- 10 g active dry yeast
- 2 eggs
- 45 g cubed butter at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
TO DECORATE:
- Sugar
- Smarties
- 40 g melted chocolate
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl, activate the yeast by adding the yeast, milk and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes until foamy.
- To the yeast mixture, add the eggs, vanilla extract, flour and salt. With a hook attachment, knead the dough for about 3 minutes, until a soft dough starts taking shape.
- Gently add the cubed butter one piece at a time until all the butter is incorporated. Let the dough knead fora bout 10 minutes. Make sure it passes the windowpane test. *
- Place the dough in a bowl, cover and put it in a warm place until it doubles in size, for about 1 hour. Prepare a baking tray with small parchment paper squares. Set aside.
- Once the dough is doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough until about 2cm thick. With a rabbit shaped cutter, cut out the doughnuts and place onto a prepared baking tray with parchment paper. Leave some space between each doughnut. Once ready, cover the baking tray and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- Fill a large pot with vegetable oil. Pour enough oil so that the doughnuts have enough space to cook. Heat the oil to about 170°C/340°F.
- Gently add the doughnuts to the hot oil and let them cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until both sides have a nice golden colour. Transfer the cooked doughnuts to a plate lined with paper towels so that it will dry out any excess oil. Fry in batches if necessary.
- While still hot, transfer the doughnut to a plate prepared with sugar and cover the doughnut completely. Let the doughnuts cool completely.
- Once cooled, decorate with melted chocolate and add a smarties candy as a nose. I like to pipe some chocolate on the back of the smarties so that it sticks.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create! Don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list down below so to received the recipe updates straight to your mailbox!
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