Bunny Ear Sweet Buns

Instructions

• Make the roasted strawberries: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In a glass 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 cm) baking dish, toss together the strawberries, sugar, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
• 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.
• 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.
• Make the bunny ear buns: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cranberries, sugar, yeast, and salt.
• 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.
• Pour the warm butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Add 3 eggs and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Bake until the bread is shiny and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Once cool, squeeze the icing around the strawberry filling to outline the ears.
• Enjoy!