I don't know about you, but my kids get way too much chocolate on holidays. They get a bunny from family, friends, and neighbors as well as from the school, Kindergarten, and the grocery store. We end up swimming in chocolate. I wish more people would offer fun, healthy alternatives.
If you are
interested in making your kids Easter baskets a little bit healthier this year,
these Zwiebach animals are easy to make and a lot of fun (What is Zwiebach?).
They would also look great in an Easter nest ready to be nibbled up on
Easter morning.
Making Zwiebach
Frogs is a great way to combine fun with food. These frogs are easy to
make and this dough requires very little kneading making it a great activity
for children. Your kids can make
bunnies and chickens, too. Add vegetables or fruit for garnish or lay them out
on a pretty plate filled with goodies. Enjoy!
Here’s the how to:
Easy Zwiebach
Frogs
1 C warm water
1 ½ T dry yeast
2 T sugar
¼ C oil
3 C flour
1 t salt
For frogs, you
will also need string cheese, raisins, and a toothpick
1. Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy,
then add oil. Blend in flour and salt with a fork until the dough starts to
stick together. Use your hands to finish the dough by kneading it a few times,
not long, and then forming it into a flat ball. Put dough back in large bowl, cover,
and let rise until double in size. If it is still hot where you live, put the
bowl outside to make it rise faster.
2. Pull off pieces
of dough and roll them in your hand to form golf ball sized balls. These balls
will be the frog body. Place them on a greased cookie sheet. Then pull off
smaller balls and pinch them around the body to make the legs and feet. Roll
very small balls to make the eyes.
3. Now take a
toothpick, and poke a hole in the eye piece of dough. Move the toothpick around
a little to make the hole big enough to fit a half a raisin. Cut a raisin in
half and using the toothpick again, push the raisin into the hole. Do the same
for the other eye.
4. Pull off little strings of string cheese. Wrap the
cheese around the large part of the body dough ball and then use the toothpick
to push in the ends into the dough, so that it stays in place. This part can
actually be a little tricky. You may need to wet the cheese for it to hold
better.
5. Now let your
frogs rise again, about 15 minutes. I have also baked some Zwiebach, which you
can also see on the picture. While they are rising, you can turn your oven on
to 350 degrees. You may need to push some of the balls back into place, as the
rising sometimes will push the balls apart.
6. Place frogs in
the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve the frogs
on homemade lily pads. Cut out green hearts out of paper. I used a plastic
flower, but you could also cut flowers out of paper as well. Eat with butter
and cheese, but first have your frogs jump around the table.
