Turtle Bread

*My 5 year old brought me her recipe book one Sunday morning and begged me to help her make this--who can resist such a request?  The bread was delicious!  We all loved it.  You could easily just shape this into a simple loaf or make into other animal shapes if desired--say maybe a bear.  This would go great with any meal, the bread's flavor was wonderful.

Ingredients:

2 1/2-3 cups flour

1 package quick-acting active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 t bread machine yeast)

1 T sugar

1 t salt

1/2 c water

1/3 c milk

1 T margarine/butter

1 egg

2 raisins

Directions:

1.  Mix 1 1/2 cu flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2.  Heat water, milk, and margarine to 125-130 degrees (or just until little bubbles are forming, but yet boiling); stir into yeast mixture.  Stir in egg.  Stir in enough or remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.

3.  Sprinkle a surface lightly with flour.  Turn the dough onto the surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

4.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.  Shape a 2-inch piece of dough into a ball for head.  Shape 4 walnut-size pieces of dough into balls for feet.  Shape 1 walnut-size piece of dough into tail.  Shape remaining dough into a ball for body; place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly.  Attach head, feet and tail by placing 2 end of each under edge of body to secure.  Press raisins into head for eyes.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

5.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Make crisscross cuts in body, 1/4 inch deep, to look like a turtle's shell.  Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Makes 1 turtle bread.