CNYEats Easter Egg Ring

In July?!!!  My timing isn’t off, just the name of the recipe because this is a bread that, guaranteed, you won’t want to save just for a holiday.

I was curious as to how the eggs, cooked in the oven with the bread, would turn out. They were perfect!  What a unique way to cook a shelled egg!  And… by the way, did you notice how I changed the “spirit” of the bread? Blue and Red Stars on the eggs.  Shall we call this “July Fourth Egg Ring? *I used edible markers (available in the baking section of craft stores and maybe even grocery stores) for drawing on the eggs since the eggs shell is porous you would not use inedible ink.

This weeks A Taste of Utica recipe is posted by Mario and can be found on page 58 of our book

  Check out the book, the promo for FREE SHIPPING might be still going on!

Easter Egg Ring

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 1 TBS)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 1/2 cups four
• 1 TBS orange rind
• 4 tsp crushed aniseed
• 1/4 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped candied fruits
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 6 whole uncooked eggs (I used only 3)

The Egg Glaze:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 TBS milk

In a small pan, heat the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter, salt, until the butter melts.  Let cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve 1 tsp sugar in warm water, sprinkle in yeast and let stand 10 minutes or until frothy. *If it doesn’t froth, your yeast might be dead.

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast mixture, milk mixture and eggs.

Stir orange rind and aniseed into the flour.  Use an electric mixture to gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups flour into the yeast mix, beat until smooth then with a wooden spoon, stir in remaining mixture to make a slightly sticky dough.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 – 10 minutes.  Place in lightly greased bowl, turn to grease all over.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough. Knead in raisins, candied fruit and almonds.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each piece into 26” long rope and twist together.  Transfer to greased baking sheet. Bring together to form a ring, pinching ends to seal.  Gently pull twisted ropes apart and tuck the eggs into the gaps.  *I rinsed and wiped the egg’s shell before inserting in bread.  Eggs will become hard during baking.

EGG GLAZE:  Stir egg yolk and milk.  Brush over ring.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.  The ring should sound hollow when tapped. 

The bread is slightly sweet and thoroughly delightful for a picnic (hint – hint:  July 4th is coming!) or brunch or a beautiful presentation for any meal. 

Next week, we’re going “Fall” and baking up some Pumpkin Bread! Then we have 3 more bread recipes:  Parmesan/Cheddar Brioches, Buba cu l”’Uova (we’re going back to Easter with this one) or rather Italian Easter Egg Baskets, and our final bread recipe will be St. Joseph’s Bread.

Are there some recipes you simply WILL NOT bake any more than once a year?

Joanne