It's no secret that throwing a good theme party is one of my passions, and I always like the menu to reflect the occasion. Sometimes that means matching the type of food to the event (eg, Mexican for a Cinco de Mayo party), and sometimes it just means creating theme-appropriate displays or shapes for classic dishes. For Easter brunch last weekend, I baked some crusty French bread in the shape of a rabbit and Easter eggs. So many people have asked how I made it, I thought I'd post directions.
But first, a confession. I would love to tell you that I ground my own whole wheat flour from my organic backyard garden, or even that I started it completely from scratch. I did not. Ain't nobody got time for that. Or at least this full-time lawyer indulging in late-night baking and kitchen dancing doesn't. Nope. I started with a 5 lb. package of Kroger brand frozen bread dough, which I let thaw in the refrigerator for about 10 hours while I was at the office doing lawyerly things.
The dough is already separated into five 1 lb portions. It's oblong and boring in the package, and there's no joy in that (though it tastes good regardless of what it looks like). I'd made Santa-shaped bread at Christmas using directions from Taste of Home. The Santas turned out pretty good, so I thought I'd attempt to make bunny bread for Easter.
The Santa on the left was my first attempt. For the one on the right, I modified a few things (like twisting the beard pieces) and thought it came out better. |
If I'd made a second one, I'd have modified the eyes and teeth a bit. It gets easier with practice to know how the bread shapes will rise during the baking process |
Once the bread cooled slightly, I used artists' paint brushes to apply edible lustre dust in various shades to add shimmer and sparkle to the bread. Lustre dust is by far my favorite embellishment for baked goods. It's completely tasteless, easy to apply, and adds unmatched dimension. In fact, I often use it to decorate bare sugar cookies in lieu of icing. It's far less messy and there's no worry of messing up the design when you stack them. It also adds decoration without any added sugar or fat. It can be found in the baking aisle of Michael's or Hobby Lobby, and a single small vial goes a really long way - you definitely need to use a light touch when applying.
So there you have it. If you're feeling creative, try making shaped French loaves the next time you break bread with loved ones. If you have more time on your hands than I do, you might even make your bread from scratch. But, whatever you do, I recommend you forego the 50s housewife high heels in the kitchen and dance around in your socks!
Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you BAKE with it!
Even I draw the line at an Eiffel Tower made from hot dogs, but it made me smile. |
Martha Stewart meets Danica Patrick meets Scarlet Johanson.
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, it's good to be well-rounded :) Thank you - that's quite a compliment.
DeleteSpectacular! Now I know why you were up so late!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Crystal! I really love the creative process of it.
DeleteWow. That is some fancy-pants baking. (Admittedly, I am a terribly baker. I can cook okay, but I have a tendency to burn anything in the oven.) And I love your '50s outfit! I've actually been looking online today, at Clarence and Alabama. (They're based in the UK.) They have some fancy 1950s dresses as well, and I've been wondering if I should order a petticoat with one as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dawn! I have a few petticoats in different colors. Some vintage dresses really need them to add structure, but I prefer to keep them on the "lighter" side or they can look costumey. My "Brave New Year" post in early January shows a petticoat look. I will have to check out Clarence and Alabama - thanks for the tip!
ReplyDelete