This Italian Easter Ring with Colored Eggs is a wonderful Calabrian tradition.
Nothing but fun coming at you today!
Tender, sweet and super lemony – this Easter Bread is everything you want to wake up to on Easter morning! Or any morning for that matter!
My gram, Mema, would make Easter bread every year. Sometimes she’d prepare it as a ring while other times she’d form it to look like a basket. We were always excited to see what sweet confection she had ready for us. Propped on her washing machine in the corner of her immaculate galley kitchen – the bread would be left cooling and waiting for our eager little hands.
Unfortunately I don’t have Mema’s exact recipe, but I found this beauty in a Calabrian cookbook, which is where she was from. Though she immigrated to America when she was just a toddler – so much of her life reflected the traditions of her hometown of Reggio Calabria…including holiday traditions like this stunning bread.
This is a great recipe that bakes up light, tender and so full of flavor.
INGREDIENTS:
- hard-boiled eggs
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- salt
- egg
- milk
- lemon extract
- lemon zest
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- confectioners’ sugar
- colored sprinkles
It comes together pretty quickly and you can go to town on the decorating! As you can see I went a little crazy with the sprinkles. But hey – isn’t that what it’s all about?
COOK’S TIP:
Don’t be afraid to show the dough who’s boss. You will notice that once everything is combined, it’s a pretty sticky dough. Don’t give up. This is not wrong. Just flour your hands and roll and pat until it’s smooth and silky feeling. The dough is so soft and tender – you’ll think you’re patting the back of a baby chick. That’s what we’re looking for.
Form it into a ring large enough to hold eight hard-boiled colored eggs, top each egg with a criss-cross of dough, paint with melted butter and bake for about 20 minutes.
Once it comes out of the oven and cools completely, decorate with a pour of glaze and all the sprinkles you want. All the sprinkles. 🙂
This will make a beautiful edible centerpiece for your Easter table. And boy does it taste good!
Buon Appetito!
MORE SPRING RECIPES:
Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs
Zucchini & Olive Oil Bread with Lemon Crunch Drizzle
Asparagus, Sweet Peas & Prosciutto Salad
Minty Pea & Boursin Bruschetta
Crispy Wedge Salad with Greek Yogurt Creamy Blue & Maple Bacon
Italian Easter Ring with Colored Eggs
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Italian Easter Ring with Colored Eggs is a wonderful Calabrian tradition.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs, hard-boiled and colored
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 4 – 5 Tbsp milk
- colored sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment. Set aside.
- Prepare 8 hard-boiled eggs, then color in pretty pastels. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, sugar, and salt.
- Cream until well blended.
- Gradually add egg, milk, lemon extract and lemon zest. Mix well.
- Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
- Remove dough from bowl to a lightly floured countertop.
- Cut out 1/4 of the dough and set aside.
- Shape remaining dough into a ring large enough to accommodate the 8 eggs.
- Pinch ends to form a circle.
- Place ring on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Press eggs gently into dough in evenly-spaced intervals.
- Roll out reserved dough and cut into 16 narrow strips.
- Criss-cross strips over each egg to form a cross, pressing edges into bottom dough.
- Brush strips with melted butter.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until ring is golden and cooked through.
- Prepare glaze while ring is cooling.
- Mix together confectioners’ sugar and milk to make a glaze. Adjust with more sugar or milk to get the correct consistency.
- Once you have a good pourable consistency, pour glaze over ring, then sprinkle with colored sprinkles.
- Let glaze dry before serving.
{Recipe adapted from Cucina di Calabria}
What a beautiful and festive cake! I love that you’re carrying on this tradition.
Thank you, Marissa! 🙂
What a great story, Annie – love memories like this! Love how colorful and decorative this Easter ring is! Thanks for sharing!
And truthfully – it tastes as pretty as it looks! Thanks, friend!
I absolutely love how beautiful and festive this is. Family traditions are the best! <3
Thank you, Kevin! They sure are! <3
Such sweet memories, Annie. I love how your Mema brought the traditions of her homeland with her. Cooking is such a beautiful way to carry on traditions and pass on memories. Thank you for sharing this and your family story. I’ve never seen any bread like this! So unique and the pop of lemon has my attention! xo
She was a proud beautiful Italian gram who knew her way around the kitchen! Mema’s was the house where everyone congregated! Thanks, my friend! xo
Always loved when Easter was coming and you start to see these beautiful colorful rings pop out in the stores (or made by some of my aunts). They are so pretty and also good, so fun to make and give away as an Easter hostess present. Love it!
I remember visiting Rome in March a few years ago and of course noticing the colorful rings everywhere!! A feast for the eyes! Thanks, friend!
How pretty is this!? I love the memory associated with it too – heart-warming 🙂 This is so wonderful for Easter!!
Thank you, dear! 🙂
How absolutely delightful. I am going to use this for the Blessing of the Baskets. In Polish that is Swieconka. Annie, you will be going to church with us on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Thank you for this lovely recipe, and for sharing your memories of your Grandmother. This is what the holidays are all about. B Karr
I am honored! Enjoy the bread and your special day, my friend! Thank you for stopping by with such sweet words! 🙂
Just soooo perfect for Easter Annie! I have never made one, but I need to give your recipe a try. What a showstopper!
It’s almost too cute to eat….but eat it! 🙂 Thanks, friend!
This bread ring is so festive and fun, Annie! I didn’t grow up eating anything like this, and right now I’m feeling like I missed out on all the deliciousness! I’ve got to try this, or at least pass this link on to my sister, because I bet my niece and nephew would LOVE this! Pinning! Cheers, doll! xo
Awh! I bet they would, too! Thanks for the pin, my friend! xo
This is beautiful! I’ve never made Easter bread with the eggs baked in but I’ve always been intrigued because it looks so festive. I think this will be the year I’ll give it a try!
Yayay! Enjoy the experience! 🙂
Such a pretty bread. My mamma’s recipe is one with yeast bread — more like a brioche. However, it’s made — it’s a special bread for a special holiday. Very pretty photos.
It’s funny that you mention that…I was surprised to see that it didn’t include yeast. Wasn’t upset about it! 😉 I remember your mamma’s recipe – so beautiful! Thank you, friend!
This bread looks like so much fun! Love the coloured eggs. I can’t believe we are already talking about Easter desserts, but it’s only a month away! So happy spring is almost here! Have a great week Annie!
I know, right? I’m actually ahead of the game this year, and it feels good! This is a festive one, for sure! Thanks, friend!
I love this tradition! We used to have one of these growing up at Easter and it brings back so many memories to see this – so fun and festive! May need to bring the tradition back again this year thanks to you 🙂
Awhhh! I love that! If you do…enjoy, my friend! 🙂
Wow – it certainly is nothing but fun! I’ve never had anything quite like this and I can imagine what a joy it is to prepare! Pinned! Happy Monday, my friend 🙂 XOXO
It’s just a delightful recipe – from start to finish! Thanks, friend!
Beautiful! I love traditional bakes like this. I just imagine the memories from making and/or enjoying it together with family are so wonderful 🙂
I wish I had gotten in the kitchen with my gram to make this (and so many other things)! We lived out of town – so everything was ready by the time we got there! Thanks, friend!
A lemony Easter cake? Yes, please, I think that it will find a much larger fan base than the kids circle:) Looks incredibly fun too! And I am loving your description of the dough’s softness:)
So lemony and so soft! No joke! This is a fun one! Thanks, friend!