My kids and I went to the Disney movie Zootopia a few weeks ago when they were on spring break. Have you seen it yet? It is super cute and funny. I love the kind of movies that my kids think are entertaining and that I can sit through and enjoy without falling asleep or rolling my eyes the entire time…you know what I’m talking about, right?
Judy Hopps Bunny Rolls: orange-y sweet rolls shaped like bunnies for a Zootopia themed party
Disney just does things right. The movies and the theme parks and even their cruises are just full of details, and they always seem to incorporate a little bit of magic.
We had a blast on our Disney cruise three years ago…my kids and I thought it was so magical.
Last January, my husband and I actually went with our friends to Walt Disney World (without the kids…don’t tell them). It was just so perfect. My favorite ride was the new(ish) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I loved the cutesy details of the ride, but it was also a really fun (and pretty mild) roller coaster. The only complaint that we had was that we didn’t have more days to spend in the park. We are already planning another trip to Walt Disney World in the future. Maybe—just maybe—we will let the kids come this time.
If you’re like me, you have a lot of spring and summer birthdays coming up in the next few months. My kids liked Zootopia so much that I may just have to throw them a Judy Hopps themed party. There are so many party ideas that could go along with the movie. One is making some bunny shaped (Judy Hopps) rolls. These rolls are actually one of my very favorite recipes in the world. They are orange rolls that are slightly sweet and have a ton of orange-y flavor. I love making the recipe from scratch, but I’m sure you could also use pre-made dough if you’re in a pinch for time or don’t love baking like I do. The glaze that is drizzled on the rolls is a must, though, so please don’t skip that step. My kids will love biting off the bunny’s ears or tail when they eat them.
Because I know that baking can sometimes be intimidating, I’ve included step-by-step directions for this Judy Hopps bunny bread rolls recipe.
Ingredients:
- active dry yeast: 1 Tbsp
- warm water (like what you would use to bathe a baby): ¼ cup
- milk: 1 cup
- butter: ½ cup (1 stick)
- eggs: 2
- white sugar: ⅓ cup
- oranges: 2 large (for zesting and for the juice)
- salt: 1 tsp
- all-purpose flour: 5 to 5½ cups, divided
- powdered sugar: 1 cup
- orange juice: 2 Tbsp
- orange zest: 1 tsp
Directions:
Step 1: Get the water running to the point where it’s nice and warm—like what you would bathe a baby in. Put ¼ cup of the warm water into a small bowl, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of active yeast, and set aside. The yeast will dissolve and bubble a bit.
Step 2: Next, get a microwave safe container. I like to use my glass Pyrex measuring cup. Pour in one cup of milk and put it in the microwave for about 1–2 minutes on high. Once it starts to almost boil, you’ll take it out. It took me about 90 seconds to get to this point. Stir in ½ cup of butter (that’s one stick) and let the milk melt the butter while you stir a bit.
Step 3: Let the milk cool for just a couple of minutes and then add the milk into your stand mixer that has the dough hook attached. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, just add it to a bowl.) Add in ⅓ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and then 2 cups of flour. Beat on low for 30 seconds, and then add in 2 eggs and beat on low for another 30 seconds. Stir in the yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons of orange zest, and ¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Step 4: Next, you’ll add in 3 more cups of flour to make a nice soft dough. If it’s really sticky, add in ¼ cup of flour at a time. I added in an extra ⅓ cup of flour. You’ll knead the dough for 8–10 minutes. If you’re using your mixer, just turn it on low and let it knead. If you’re doing it by hand, have fun!
Step 5: After the dough has been kneaded, you’ll plop it into a greased bowl and then turn it once so that each side gets a little oil on it. I actually just used non-stick cooking spray to grease my bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, you’ll punch it down a bit and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
Step 6: Now you’ll plop the dough onto a lightly floured counter. I used my pizza cutter to cut the dough into 16 equal sized pieces. The easiest way to do this is to cut the dough in half and then each piece gets cut in half again until you get to 16 pieces.
Step 7: You’ll now take 15 of the 16 portions of dough and roll each into a 12-inch rope. This reminds me of my Play-Doh snake days when I was young. Then you’ll take each rope and form it into a horseshoe shape. Then you’ll twist the dough twice, making sure to leave two bunny ears at the top. And then you’ll take a little ball of dough from that 16th portion of dough that we haven’t used yet, make a little ball of a bunny tail, and press it into the dough.
Step 8: Once you get all your dough shaped, you’ll place it on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or that has been lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let the bunnies rise for 30 minutes. Then they are ready to be baked. Bake for 10 minutes in a 375° F oven. Remove them to a cooling rack.
Step 9: While the rolls are cooling, you’ll make a quick and easy orange glaze to go on top. In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Use a whisk to stir it until it’s nice and smooth.
Step 10: Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the tops of the rolls. Now it’s time to eat and enjoy! I literally ate three of these in a row. They are sooo good.
