Vera's Recipes

Holiday Dishes

Bready Bears

Holiday Dishes
15 ingredients
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Ingredients

  • 5½ cup 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 tbsp finely shredded orange peel
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 slightly beaten egg white
  • 1 tbsp water
  • dried fruit or nuts, optional
  • 2 cup sugar glaze sifted powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar glaze hot water
  • 1 tsp sugar glaze butter or margarine

Method

  1. Combine 2 cups flour and the yeast. Heat the milk, sugar, shortening and 1 teaspoon salt till warm (115 to 120 degrees); stir constantly. Add to the flour mixture along with the eggs, orange peel and orange juice. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; scrape often. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
  2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Place in a greased bowl. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour). Punch down. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
  3. Divide the dough in half; on a lightly floured surface roll out 1 half to 1/2-inch thickness. With biscuit cutters, cut five 2 1/2-inch circles, five 2-inch circles, and twenty-five 1-inch circles. Let the dough rest before rerolling. Mix the egg white and 1 tablespoon water.
  4. To assemble each bear, place one 2 1/2-inch circle (body) on a baking sheet. Brush the edge of one 2-inch circle (head) with the egg white mixture; join to the body. Brush four 1-inch circles (arms and legs) with the egg white mixture; join to the body. Cut one 1-inch circle in half (ears). Brush the flat side; join to the head. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  5. Cover the assembled bears and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 20 minutes). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Brush with Sugar Glaze. Decorate with dried fruit and nuts. Brush the glaze over the decorated areas.
  6. Sugar Glaze: Blend together 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, and 1 teaspoon butter or margarine.

Notes

Makes 10. Per bear: 381 cal., 9g pro., 79g carbo., 3g fat, 55mg chol., 242mg sodium. "Move over Rudolf, the bready bears have arrived!" — a sweet-dough Christmas edition.

Original card

The recipe above was transcribed from this scan of Vera’s original card.