Today’s recipe is my family’s favorite and #1 Easter tradition.
It just wouldn’t be Easter without these Hopping Bunny Rolls.
I have to make them every year.
HAVE to.
It’s DEMANDED of me!
By EVERYONE!!!
There would be mutiny in my family if I even suggested not making these rolls.
I started making them as soon as I got this cookbook from our neighbors for my 12th birthday.
See, everybody knew early on that I loved to cook!!
This is the Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book, copyright 1959 but the tenth printing in 1970.
I’ve had this cookbook for so long – there are a LOT of recipes in here that have become family traditions.


Here is the recipe as I made them:
Hopping Bunny Rolls
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk, scalded (heated to just before the boiling point)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening (this is one of the few times I do use vegetable shortening)
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
Soften yeast in warm water.
Blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt.
Cool until lukewarm; stir in about 2 cups flour; beat well.
Add eggs; mix well.
Stir in softened yeast.
Add orange juice, peel, and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Let rest 10 minutes.
Knead dough 5 to 10 minutes on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover; let rise in warm place until double (about 2 hours).
Punch down; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

I don’t make the one that’s a view from the back, only the side view.
The recipe page says to roll out dough and cut strips to roll and make the bunny shapes.
I just cut off a piece, pretend it’s clay, and make snakes to roll into the body and head shapes.
One is a bit shorter than the other – that’s the head.
A smaller piece, pointed on each end and folded in half placed under the head and there you have the ears.
A small piece rolled into a ball and tucked under the back end and there’s the tail.
Put the bunny shapes on a cookie sheet.
Cover and let rise again in a warm place until light and nearly double (45 to 60 minutes).
Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
Frost while warm with Sugar Glaze.
It says it makes 2 1/2 dozen but I got 18 out of the recipe this time.
I probably don’t make them as small as I should.
Hmm – wonder why?
Sugar Glaze:
To 2 cups powdered sugar, add 1/4 cup hot water and 1 teaspoon softened butter; mix until well blended.
Brush or drizzle over warm bunny rolls.
I have also used warm orange juice and a bit of grated orange peel instead of water in this.
It makes them taste a bit more “orange-y”.

Making these rolls has gotten a lot easier since making them with the big mixer and a dough hook.
I let it run with the dough hook on for about 5-10 minutes at medium speed.
This is how much dough you’ll have before rising.

This is after rising (even though I started another project and let it go a bit longer than usual here).

When you punch down the dough before forming the bunnies, seriously punch it!


These are the bunnies before and after the second rising.

They all have their own personalities!

This glaze is made with orange juice and orange peel instead of water with the powdered sugar.

It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t that bad – you can do this!

They’re so worth it in the end.
Not only are they cute as heck, they’re SO GOOD!!!
Enjoy our #1 tradition!
Hoppy Easter!