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I have a big head. Tragically, I can never wear those cardboard top hats at New Years Eve parties (since that is one of the few aspects I like about New Years Eve parties, it is tragic.). My husband has a really small head, but it’s rock hard. I’ve had many a cut lip from him accidentally bringing his head up while I tried to kiss him.

I think Knut is one of the few people who could give someone a Glasgow kiss and feel no ill effects. A Glasgow kiss goes something like this:

“Can your mother sew?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Then have her stitch this!”

(Grab the other fellow’s ears and bang your forehead into the other guy’s head).

In films, this knocks out the other guy, leaving our hero unscathed. However, if you’ve ever played the game where you squish two M&Ms together to see which breaks, there can be unexpected results. Apparently most people knock themselves out or at the least the two guys can share a taxi to get their concussions looked at.

Which leads us to…

A CHANCE FOR HOME SCIENCE:

How much harder is Knut’s head than mine?

Good thing we had Easter eggs.

With equal force I banged this charming lavender Easter egg against my head and then smashed Knut one with the other side. Once he recovered from the shock, we compared sides.

Katy’s Side

Smooth and mild breakage. Practically a warm embrace. This egg would be able to get up and walk away, if eggs were generally able to do such things.

Knut’s Side

Tiny round DEEP puncture. Resembles a bullet wound. Notorious E.G.G. style. How did the man manage it? It’s not like he’s a unicorn…? Nah.

Now, whose head would you rather get knocked with? I think I’d better keep my Glasgow kisses to the romantic kind.

Adventures in Easter Themed Baking Part 5

Taaaa Daaaa!!

The finished product. Covered in tasty frosting and yummy coconut, it's hard to tell I had to piece it together.

The inside of the ears are tinted marzipan dusted with sugar. The eyes are marzipan and chocolate chip pupils. The nose is a teeny grapefruit Jelly Belly.

I rather pleased considering it as my first try at this thing.

If I make it again, I think I'll bake it in two halves and stick them together with jam.

My hope is to get Knut's mother's deilig (Norwegian for delicious) lemon bundt recipe and make a lemon rabbit for less seasonal occasions :)

One of the problems with this kind of cake is that no one wants to eat the face. Had my brother Jamie been present at Easter dinner, I'd have cut off the head and served it on a plate for him.

I think he'd like that.

Happy Easter, everybody!!

Adventures in Easter Themed Baking Part 4

Okay, here is the evidence that I should always trust Great Aunt Edna. Any woman who can keep a sweater from 1967 looking as fresh as one bought today clearly deserves respect. Buckets of it.

The instructions said to wait for the mold to cool totally before opening it. Thank goodness I'm impatient! There was a delicious looking outer shell and a gooey uncooked center.

Fab in a Cadbury Cream Egg, but not what I was looking for in a cake.

It also hadn't risen enough to meet the top of the mold.

Crap.

I put it back in the oven and it cooked through, but I still had half a rabbit. Fortunately! I had baked those little cupcakes. I could patch the problem and cover it all in 7 minute frosting, which is basically stirred meringue. Powerful as gorilla glue and tastes like marshmallow. Side A and Side B.

Adventures in Easter Themed Baking Part 3

Sorry! I meant to update more Saturday, but there were a few unforeseen problems followed by foreseenly awesome Lucha Libre! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I made the batter on Saturday, according to the recipe. I checked the instructions and they said to fill it only with 3 cups of batter.

Edna's recipe was at least 2 cups more than that so I figured I'd err on the side of the recipe and use only three cups.

I filled up two ramekins to make cupcakes in addition.

I filled the mold, tied it together with string, and baked it per the instructions.

Let this be a lesson to me and to others.

Don't ever mistrust German housewives.

They know their baking.

Adventures in Easter Themed Baking Part 2

Okay, I've eaten the ugliest Easter egg for Easter Power! Yeah!

(We had my parents and our awesome friends Lauren and Eli over to dye eggs. Highlight of the night was definitely Knut's Iron Maiden Eddie egg.)

I've taken out the mold and looked at the directions. The mold came with recipes too. Last year, someone brought in a lamb cake to the office that was sticky, dense, and dry and heavily flavored with almond extract. Having looked at those recipes, it's obvious how that amazing combination of adjectives was achieved. Yuck.

Fortunately, I have the angels on my side in the form of Great Aunt Edna's recipe. Mom got it over the phone so this should be interesting. Mom has pretty but virtually unreadable handwriting. I looked it over at lunch yesterday and said to her "A little suet?!"

"That's salt" she said.

Interesting, indeed.

I've started my shopping list and I just can't decide. Cream Cheese or 7 Minute Frosting? I think Cream Cheese is traditional, but I looooove 7 Minute. It also has the advantage of being super stable once it sets, which is a definite plus since it has to be transported and probably be a centerpiece.

Okay, clearly I've made a decision without realizing it.

Adventures in Easter Themed Baking Part 1

My great aunt, who is now in her nineties, used to bake lamb cakes every Easter when she was a young and spry (like in her 70s). Lovely ones filled with spice cake, cream cheese frosting, coconut fleece, and currant eyes. I think she sometimes even put a ribbon around it's neck. Beautiful and delicious.

Two years ago for my birthday, Mom got me a cast iron rabbit cake mold. We couldn't find it last year for Easter, but now I've got it. I'm going to make one!

I'm petrified.

More updates throughout the day!

PS. This lamb cake is from here:http://annhetzelgunkel.com/easter/lambcake.html

Not Aunt Edna's actual lamb cake. Maybe Mom has a photo somewhere...