How to make mini Easter bread kulich with lemon glaze, meringue cookie decorations, and Easter sprinkles!

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While creating new Easter family traditions is a great way to celebrate, there’s nothing wrong with long-time classic Easter traditions. Certain things like dying and hunting Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, and Easter baskets never get old! Neither do traditional sweet Easter recipes!

Of course, even when I do make traditional recipes I always have to put a little bit of my own creative spin on them. Which is exactly what I did with my Mini Easter Bread Kulich! This sweet Easter bread is a treat I grew up always looking forward to for our family Easter celebrations.

Now as an adult, I wanted to make my own version of it to share with my own little family. So I took the traditional recipe and added a few things to make it my own. I added some charming spring flair to my Easter bread by making a mini version and finishing it with my adorable meringue bird cookies and some cute Easter sprinkles to finish strong!

This traditional Easter bread is perfect for orthodox Easter holiday celebrations! One thing I will go ahead and warn you about upfront is that this Easter recipe will take a long time. All in all this process takes about 6 hours. I mean it is Easter after all, what more traditional way to spend it than by baking up some heavenly flavors?

Personally, when it comes to big baking projects like this I like to break the process up over at least 2 days so I’m not panicking to finish everything in a rush. If you want to go that route too make sure to read through my whole Easter bread recipe process and my tips for breaking the process down over a 2 day period. Here’s how to make my Mini Easter Bread Kulich!

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Easter Bread Equipment

For this egg-stravagant Easter bread recipe, I need the typical baking supplies along with some other helpful equipment. There is quite a long list here but you’ll probably already have most of these kitchen tools and utensils on hand. Everything you don’t have should be easy to find. Here are the tools I use to make mini Easter kulich:

• Measuring Cup
• Measuring spoons
• Glass mixing bowl
• Blending whisk
• KitchenAid mixer
• Spatulas
• Panettone Paper Mold 5 oz
• Baking sheet
• Zester
• Lemon juicer
• Cooking foil
• Parchment paper sheets
• Piping bags
• Piping bag ties
• Piping tips set
• Disposable Vinyl Gloves
• Sifter
• Drying rack

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Easter Kulich Ingredients

Now let’s go over the egg-citing Easter bread ingredients! I’ll be honest with you, since this Easter recipe encompasses a lot of flavors, there’s a good bit to expect here too. Here are the ingredients for my mini Easter kulich:

Easter Meringue Birds Cookies:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 pinch salt
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Food Coloring: yellow and pink
• Black food pen

Kulich:

• 1 cup whole milk– warm
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
• 1 cup raisins – soaked in hot water and drained
• 1 lemon– for zest and juice
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ½ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter– room temperature
• ½ light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup almond slivers
• Cooking spray oil

Lemon Glaze:

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 ½ tbsp lemon juice from 1 fresh lemon

Easter Decorating:

• ½ cup Easter pastel sprinkles
• 20 Meringue Easter Bird Cookies

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How to Make Mini Easter Bread Kulich

There is still a lot to go over so I’ll jump right into the steps here. Remember to read through the whole process plus the tips at the end to make sure you catch everything you need to know to make this Easter bread process run as smoothly as possible. Here’s how to make my mini Easter bread kulich:

Making the Easter Meringue Birds Cookies:

1. First, preheat the oven to 200°F and measure out the meringue ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons.
2. Next, separate the egg whites from the yolks.
3. Then, prepare a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
4. Add the egg whites to the mixing bowl of the stand mixer.
5. Start beating the egg whites on low speed, slowly increasing to high speed. 
6. Beat for about 4 minutes.
7. Add in the salt and cream of tartar and mix for another 15 seconds.
8. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Beat the mixture for 15 seconds between each addition. After the sugar is completely mixed in, add and mix in the vanilla extract.
9. Then, beat again at high speed, for about 8 minutes, until the meringue can hold a nice peak.
10. Next, grab 2 medium-size mixing bowls. Scoop a ½ cup of the meringue into 1 of the bowls, this will be for the yellow, and another 1 cup into the other bowl that will be used for the pink. Leave the rest in the big bowl, this meringue will stay white. Then, get your piping bags ready by cutting a small tip from each of the bags and insert a metal piping tip as follows:
    1. Yellow- 8 round tip
    2. Pink- 4b tip
    3. White- 807 tip
11. Then, use a toothpick to add a small amount of yellow food coloring, or use 1 drop at a time, to the bowl with ½ cup of meringue. 
12. Then beat the yellow mixture with a blending whisk.
13. Then, transfer the yellow meringue to its piping bag, making sure not to leave any air bubbles inside of the piping bag. Tie it off with a piping bag tie.
14. Then, use a toothpick to add a small amount of pink food coloring, or use 1 drop at a time, to the bowl with 1 cup of meringue. 
15. Beat the pink mixture with a blending whisk.
16. Next, transfer the pink meringue to its piping bag, making sure not to leave any air bubbles inside of the piping bag. Tie it off with a piping bag tie.
17. Then, transfer the white meringue to its piping bag, making sure not to leave any air bubbles inside of the piping bag. Tie it off with a piping bag tie.
18. Once your colored meringues are ready, it’s time to start making the cookies.
19. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
20. Starting with the white meringue, make the bird’s bodies by squeezing out a dollop and making a slight swooping motion at the end.
21. Then, make the same dollop and swoop motion on top of the bodies with the pink meringue to make the wings.
22. Next, squeeze a small amount of the yellow meringue at the tip of the bird’s body to make little beaks.
23. Bake the meringue birds for 50 minutes.
24. After baking, let the cookies cool in the oven for an additional hour. Make sure to keep the oven closed during the whole cooling process.
25. Then, after cooling completely, use the black food pen to draw the eyes on the bird cookies.
26. Finally, set the meringue birds aside while making the Easter bread.

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Making the Easter Bread:

1. First, gather up and measure out all of the ingredients using the measuring cups and spoons.
2. Then, in a large glass mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar.
3. Using a blending whisk, whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
4. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a disposable shower cap (my preference). Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. 
5. The yeast mixture is ready when it has formed bubbles on top.
6. Next, grab your lemon zesting gear and protect your hands with disposable vinyl gloves.
7. Over a mixing bowl, use the zester to zest 1 whole lemon.
8. Then, slice the lemon in half and use a hand juicer to squeeze out the lemon juice into a cup or small bowl.
9. Next, whisk the 3 eggs in a large mixing bowl.
10. Add in the vanilla extract and yogurt and mix well.
11. Then, add in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. 
12. Mix again until ingredients are completely combined.
13. Then, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
14. Mix well with a clean blending whisk.
15. Then, prepare a stand mixer with a beater attachment.
16. Add the butter and brown sugar to the mixing bowl of the mixer.
17. Mix the ingredients together until a creamy texture is reached.
18. Then, pour in the egg mixture.
19. Mix again until the ingredients are completely combined.
20. Then, add in the yeast mixture and mix well again.
21. Swap out the attachment for the dough hook. Add in the flour, ½ at a time, while kneading on speed 3 for 15 minutes.
22. Keep mixing and kneading the dough until it forms one large dough ball.
23. Cover the glass bowl with plastic wrap or a disposable shower cap.
24. Then, cover the bowl again with a wet kitchen towel to hold in the warmth. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
    1. I like to place the dough bowl on a heat pad to help it rise. If you don’t have one then just sit your dough in the warmest spot of your house.
25. After rising, check to make sure the dough has doubled in size.
26. Next, prepare the raisins by letting them soak in boiling hot water for 15 minutes.
    1. This step helps ensure plump, juicy raisins.
27. Then, strain and drain the raisins.
28. Next, add the raisins and almond slivers to the dough bowl.
29. Mix in the stand mixer until fully combined.
30. Then, line a baking sheet with foil. Spread out several Panettone Paper Molds over the lined tray.
31. Spray the inside of each paper mold with cooking spray.
32. Then, using your hands, fill each of the molds ¾ full.
33. Cover and let the dough rise in the molds, in a very warm spot, for 1 hour.
34. After rising, bake the Easter bread at 350°F for 20-25 minutes on the lowest shelf in the oven.
35. Finally, after baking, remove the bread from the oven and let them cool completely.

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Making the Lemon Glaze:

1. First, use the juicer to juice one fresh lemon.
2. Then, measure out the powdered sugar with the measuring cup.
3. Then, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a large glass mixing bowl.
4. Mix the lemon glaze ingredients with a blending whisk. 
5. Keep mixing until the glaze is shiny and the ingredients are completely combined.

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Decorating Kulich:

1. First, lay out a sheet of parchment paper and place a cooling rack on top of it. This is to catch any spills or messes.
2. Spread the cooled Easter breads over the rack.
3. Grab the decorating ingredients and the Easter meringue birds.
4. Then, begin spooning the lemon glaze over each of the breads.
5. Following the glaze, add the sprinkles right away. Make sure to move quickly as the glaze will start to harden quickly.
6. Lastly, add the meringue cookies by pressing them lightly into the icing. Make sure you do this step at the very last minute!

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Gift Wrapping

1. To wrap these tasty treats for Easter gift-giving, just wrap an individual Easter bread with plastic and finish off with a cute bow.

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Easter Bread Tips:

• Put meringue decorations on at the last minute! If you try to store them already decorated in an airtight container, the meringue cookies will soften from the moisture of the kulich.
  • To attach meringue cookies to the hardened icing: put a little dollop of leftover icing on the back of the cookie and press it gently on top of the hardened icing.
• If you make this recipe a day or two ahead of time, wait on the glazing and decorating steps until a few hours right before serving or gifting.

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Storing Easter Bread

To properly store Kulich Easter bread: remove the meringue decorations and transfer the individual breads to an airtight container. Then label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness. Store these Easter breads at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store meringue cookies separately.

To store meringue cookies: first, transfer them to an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Label the date on the outside of the container. Store these meringue cookies at room temperature, away from sunlight, for up to 1 week.

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How much lemon juice is in one lemon?

One medium-sized lemon typically yields about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

• 1 lemon = 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 lemon = 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

If you’re looking for a lemon extract alternative, you can use:

• 1 tsp of lemon extract = 2 tsp of lemon zest

For a step-by-step guide on how to extract lemon juice and zest, check out my video tutorial How to Get Perfect Lemon Zest

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Other Easter Recipes

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More Easter Egg-citement

Want even more egg-stravagant Easter recipes? Then you’re going to love some of my other traditional Easter recipes along with some of my unorthodox Easter recipes! However you want to celebrate, I’ve got you covered with the perfect Easter treat!

• Italian Easter Bread
• Italian Mini Easter Breads
• Easter Lemon Cookies
• Easter Meringue Bird Cookies
• Easter Charcuterie Board
• Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzels- Carrots
• Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzels- Bunnies and Ducklings
• Dying Easter Eggs with Food Coloring
• Gold-Painted Easter Eggs

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