Every year at Easter we have made the traditional Easter Paska Bread or Buns. This year we didn’t really have any Easter gatherings to go to and are in the middle of a big bathroom renovation project, so we aren’t entertaining this year. So, I decided that I wasn’t going to make the four dozen Paska Buns that I usually make. That’s just a whole lot of too many carbs for one little family that is already cutting back on wheat.

Then, this Thursday I regretted my decision and decided to try a Breadmaker Paska recipe that I used when we had a breadmaker. I haven’t tried it since the breadmaker went to the happy hunting grounds, but thought I would try making it without the breadmaker. Boy am I glad I did. We are enjoying our one and a half dozen Paska Buns so much and it is so easy that even if you think you don’t have the time to make these this Easter, you actually do. It’s worth it. Really.

1 cup milk (room temp)
1 egg (beaten)
2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
3 1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup instant lemon pudding mix
1 1/2 tsp yeast

-place all ingredients in the bread maker insert.
-select the sweetbread setting.
– you can allow the bread to bake in a loaf, or take the dough out of the breadmaker after it is done mixing and rising. Form buns and allow to rise in a very warm location for 2-3 hours or until double in size. I let them rise, covered, in the oven with the light on, or I fill the sink with hot water, place pans on the sink and let rise, covered.
-Bake at 325 for 10 minutes
-Allow to cool and then frost with traditional or cream cheese icing (our favourite recipe is below) and add sprinkles if you’d like.

Kitchen Aid Mixer Variation
– place dry ingredients in the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl.
-mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour the contents of this bowl into the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl.
-Mix on #2 setting until the sides of the bowl are clean and then put your kitchen timer on for 5 more minutes of mixing/kneading. It is a very heavy dough. Don’t worry about this.
-Cover bowl and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
-Punch dough down.
-Allow to rise another 15 minutes.
-Form into buns.
-Cover pans and allow to rise 2-3 hours or until doubled in size. I let them rise, covered, in the oven with the light on, or I fill the sink with hot water, place pans on the sink and let rise, covered.
-Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.
-Allow to cool and then frost with traditional or cream cheese icing (our favourite recipe is below) and add sprinkles if you’d like.

Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup margarin
4 cups icing sugar
vanilla
Combine and mix with the hand mixer.
Keep leftover icing in the fridge.
(I made 1/2 a recipe of icing for the above Paska recipe)