Italian Easter Bread
This Italian Easter Bread has been passed down to me from my Great, Great Aunt Helene!
Check out another one of my family’s recipes, Italian Ricotta Cookies, HERE.
Our family’s Italian Easter Bread is a little untraditional because it is an anise cookie recipe that my Grammy made into our annual Easter bread, but it is delicious!
So I had been asking my Mom for this recipe for a couple weeks so that I could make it for Easter at my in laws house and she couldn’t find the recipe. She asked all her cousins and finally someone had found it! Well, turns out, I also have a copy of my Great, Great Aunt Helene’s recipe, but I forgot about it!
My Grammy, always made this Italian Easter bread for us and we loved it! It is a little untraditional because it is a recipe for anise cookies that she turned into bread! Meaning, these will be a bit more dense than traditional breads.
My Great, Great Aunt Helene and Great, Great Aunt Marie were my Grammy’s aunts. All 3 of these women were amazing in the kitchen! Each had talents in baking, cooking, gardening, and/or sewing. I like to think this is where I get some of my talents from!
ITALIAN EASTER BREAD RECIPE
This recipe will make 2 Italian Easter Breads
INGREDIENTS:
For the bread-
4 cups of flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted crisco
7 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp anise flavoring
Sprinkles (optional)
For the icing-
1 cup of confectioners sugar
6 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp anise flavoring
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Beat crisco and sugar together
Add 2 eggs and beat well
Add milk and mix all together then add in anise flavoring
Mix in flour and baking powder by hand until everything is combined
Split the dough into 2 equal sized balls, reserving a small amount of dough to place on top of the eggs
Split each ball of dough into 3 equal sized smaller balls and roll each small ball into long strands. You may need to flour the surface and your hands because the dough can be very sticky.
Braid the 3 strands together on the baking sheets. Repeat with the 2nd ball of dough
Insert 2 uncooked eggs into each bread
Using the small amount of dough reserved, roll into small strands
Place the small strands on the egg in the shape of a Cross
Beat an egg and brush on top of the breads
Bake the breads for 25-27 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
While the breads are baking, make the icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a small bowl
Allow breads to cool completely, then drizzle each with icing and top with sprinkles!
BUONA PASQUA!
I am so excited to take these breads to our Easter celebrations this weekend! I hope you will give it a try and bring it to your Easter celebrations as well!
If you bake this Italian Easter Bread, be sure to share with me how it came out :)
OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:
Orange Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
Triple Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Lemon Pound Cake
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XO
-LA
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