By Chef Alli

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 ½ tsp. quick-rise yeast
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 6-7 uncooked eggs, dyed to preferred Easter colors

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk
• Rainbow pastel nonpareils or sprinkles

Instructions

To create small egg nests instead of the large braids, divide dough into 12-15 equal portions, rolling each portion into a long rope. Gently twist each rope, forming a circle and pinching ends together, placing each rope onto greased parchment paper placed onto baking sheets. Let nests rise a bit in a warm place, then gently nestle a dyed egg into the center of each one; brush each bread nest with a bit of melted butter.

Bake nests uncovered on center racks in preheated 350-degree-F. oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown; let cool on cooling racks. Brush nests with melted butter instead of glaze for a beautiful, simplistic look. I often create one braid with half of the dough and six to eight nests with the remaining half so I can have some of each.