Appropriate age groups for this Easter celebration or activity:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Description of Easter celebration or activity:
Tsoureki is a braided Wreath of bread that is wrapped around colorful hard-cooked eggs.

Pretty to look at. But hard cooked eggs, baked for a half hour with the loaf...yummers...

In this adaptation, an icing is drizzled over the wreath, and colorful Jelly Beans are placed on top After baking. Equally pretty!

Setting up and preparing for this celebration or activity:
Greek Easter Egg Braid:

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. milk

2 1/2 to 3 c. all purpose flour

1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 Tbsp. water
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Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract
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In a pan, combine salt, sugar, butter, and milk. Warm over low heat to about 125 degrees F.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1 cup of flour with yeast. Add warm milk mixture, eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl, until moistened. Then beat at high speed for 3 minutes (or by hand for 5 minutes). With a spoon, beat in enough of the remaining flour (about 1 1/3 c.) to make a stiff dough.

Turn dough onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic (10 to 20 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Turn dough over in a greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until Doubled (about 45 minutes).

Punch dough down; knead briefly on a lightly floured board to release air, and divide into 3 equal portions. Gently roll each with your hands to make a rope about 28 inches long. Place ropes side by side on a greased baking sheet. Pinch tops of the ropes together. Braid, then curve braid to form a Ring, pinching the ends together neatly.

Brush egg yolk mixture evenly over braid. Bake in oven at 350 degrees F. for 25-35 minutes. Watch in the final minutes; bread is Done when it is richly browned. Cool on a rack.

Drizzle icing on top of the braid, letting it run into the crevices of the braid. Decorate the braid with Jelly beans. Allow to sit undisturbed until the icing firms up. A domed cover (or inverted bowl) will keep the bread fresh.

Break out the teapot or the coffee, and Enjoy!

Other suggestions or comments:
Let your kids help choose the jelly beans!

My kids sort of get annoyed when they bite into a fruity-looking color, and it's a Spice or Mint flavor.

The recipe can be easily adapted to bread machine dough mixing cycles, using hints in the operator's manual. Kids really enjoy "loading up the machine."

You may have icing left over, which can be used for other breads, or for dipping Graham crackers ;-)