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Braided Easter Sweet Bread is baked with boiled eggs
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Easter Sweet Bread is made with a braided sweet bread and boiled eggs. - photo by Amy Makechnie
I have really good intentions about what to feed the family. In reality, we mostly eat the same food day after day after day. For all of my good intentions, time and energy too often get in the way.

But then there are some recipes that are so aesthetically beautiful and seemingly not-too-hard-to-pull-off, they practically demand a chance in my own test kitchen. Such was the case with braided Easter Sweet Bread, found in an old Bon Appetit magazine.

Boiled and colored eggs baked in a soft sweet bread is not only pretty, it's delicious and unique, making it a family favorite every Easter. Inevitably, there are "oohs" and "ahs" and, "are those eggs actually boiled and than baked on top of your bread?"

Yes, it's true. Year after year, the surprise (and tastiness) never fails to disappoint.

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Easter Sweet Bread

5-6 eggs, hard boiled, dyed

For the sweet dough:

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature, plus tablespoon, melted

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110115 degrees. Transfer milk to a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 2 eggs; whisk until smooth. Combine remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

2. Mix in milk mixture to dry ingredients. With mixer running, add cup room-temperature butter. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until dough is soft and silky, about 5 minutes. Brush top of dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise to about double.

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray baking sheet). Punch down dough. Divide into three equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 16-inch-long rope with tapered ends. (If dough begins to bounce back, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes to allow dough to relax.)

4. Arrange ropes side by side lengthwise on prepared sheet. Pinch top ends together. Braid dough. Pinch bottom ends together to secure. The braided loaf will be about 12 inches long. Tuck dyed eggs between braids, spacing evenly. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until puffed but not doubled in size, about 4550 minutes. Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375 degrees F.

Optional: Whisk remaining egg with 2 teaspoons warm water in a small bowl. Avoiding dyed eggs, brush dough all over with egg wash.

Bake until bread is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: This can be made a day ahead. Cover dough with plastic; chill. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 11 hours (or 22 hours if dough has been refrigerated).

Adapted from Bon Appetit's Easter Bread recipe
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.