So my family and I have done our DNA tests to see what our heritage blend is, and one of the surprises we saw on everyone’s test was Armenian descent (very small percentage), among other cultures, but this one surprised us! So I decided to explore their cuisines in time for the Easter Holiday. I found a recipe and adapted it a bit because our family has some allergies and using certain species was not realistic, so I adapted the recipe and came up with this delicious Armenian Sweet Bread, that tastes and looks a lot like Challah Bread. My kids devoured it!

This is sure to become an Easter family tradition that I hope my girls (and son) will continue when they have their own children. This bread does contain egg, which is how you achieve this gorgeous deep, rich color. By all means, if you do not eat egg, you can simply take out the egg. The top will not be as golden brown, but you can experiment with olive oil, and brush that on top instead.  In this case, I would also increase the sugar in this recipe from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.

This recipe is a great starting point, and you may add in the herbs if you wish or omit them altogether. You may even experiment with other herbs. The Armenian herbs are Mahleb and Nigella seeds, ground along with sesame seeds to finish off the top of the bread. It tastes as good as it looks!

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!