My friends and family all know that I am a little crazy about bunny rabbits. It all started many years ago when I was in fourth grade. My friend’s mother told me to say, “Bunny Rabbit” on the first day of the month, and I would have good luck for the whole month. I have been doing that every month since then. Now my family does it, as do many of my former students throughout the years.
Somewhere along the way, I started collecting some beautiful rabbit artwork and cute bunnies all dressed in their finest outfits. Every year I bring the bunnies out to welcome the coming of spring and Easter. Each bunny has a name, a photoshoot and a page in our bunny album.
This year my husband and I decided it would be fun to have a bunny-based meal, and NO, we will not be serving rabbit! We started looking for foods that a bunny would eat or had a name that somehow could be associated with rabbits.
We are still going through all the many possibilities before settling on our exact menu, but we have been having so much fun in the process! For instance, Jimmy Stewart had a very special rabbit friend named Harvey which gave us the idea to serve Harvey Wallbanger cocktails for starters.
Along with the cocktails, we might serve an onion blossom, or blooming onion, in honor of Blossom the Blue-Nose Bunny. There will surely be rainbow carrot sticks and a beautiful “rabbit food” salad full of tender baby lettuce, fresh spinach, radishes and some strawberries to add a pop of flavor and color.
The main course will definitely be angel “hare” pasta with a fresh spinach cream sauce. Long ears of buttered corn would be a nice accompaniment don’t you think? We must have buns of some kind, and I’m leaning toward a favorite at Easter, hot cross buns.
Now for dessert! I’m thinking mini cottontails for the kids would be fun. They are so easy to make. You need a box of frozen creampuffs, white melting chocolate or a can of white frosting and coconut. Spread the melted chocolate or canned icing on the top of each frozen puff and quickly sprinkle with the coconut. Keep them frozen until about 15 minutes before serving. They are so cute, and I know kids of all ages will love them!
And we must have cake – carrot cake of course!
I think we have taken our “bunny-ness” to a whole new level!
Here is my favorite recipe for carrot cake. It has a secret ingredient that makes it especially moist and flavorful.
The Ultimate Carrot Cake
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. table salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup peeled and grated Granny Smith apple (The secret ingredient!)
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350.Toss together first 3 ingredients and spread in a single layer in a foil-lined pan. Bake 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once.
- Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Beat butter and both sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add oil, beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla, fold in carrots, next 2 ingredients, and 1 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
- Bake at 350 for 23 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Spread Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Top with remaining toasted pecans.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- Beat the cream cheese, butter and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy.
- Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar at low speed until blended, then increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute or until smooth.
– Becky Lynn is a writer for EllisDownHome.com. She and her husband Bob enjoy spending time with their 8 grandchildren and traveling. Becky loves cranking up the music and heading to the kitchen to try out new recipes or cook for an upcoming party. She is passionate about continuing to be a life-long learner!
