Lamb with sprinkles for the Easter basket

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g whole wheat flour
• 1 pinch of baking powder
• 75 g honey
• 1 packet of Bourbon vanilla sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 80 g butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 100 g wheat flour type 405 or whole wheat flour, see instructions
• 60 g butter
• 60 g sugar or honey, see instructions
• 1 packet of Bourbon vanilla sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of cardamom
• 1 raisin
• 1 almond(s), if desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

made from whole wheat shortcrust pastry

Mix the freshly ground whole wheat flour with the baking powder and place it on a baking board. Add the egg yolk, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to the center and mix gently. Cut the cold butter over the dough and chop it with a large knife until finely chopped. Then quickly knead everything together, form it into a ball, and flatten it slightly. Cover the dough and refrigerate. Half an hour is enough, otherwise it will become too hard. Meanwhile, make a paper stencil in the shape of a lamb. My lamb is about 17 cm long and has a head height of about 13 cm so that it fits well in my Easter basket. I roughly trace the classic, simple Easter lamb shape, just the head and body, without the legs. Next, prepare the crumbles. If white flour is used, they stand out beautifully against the dark whole wheat dough and look like light “wool.” If you want to make a whole-grain cake, use wholemeal flour and replace the sugar with 60g of honey. Wholemeal crumbles should be chilled slightly before further processing. To make the crumbles, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Mix the flour, sugar, and spices together. Stir in the butter with a fork and crumble with your fingers until crumbly. They should be neither too small nor too large. Roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of about 0.7cm. Apply the template and cut out a lamb. Then place the template in reverse and cut out a second lamb. Cut the remaining dough into any shape you like, e.g., strips or eggs. Place the lambs and the remaining shapes on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cover the lambs with the crumbles, leaving the faces free. Press a halved raisin into each one for the eye. If you like, you can also use an almond for the ear. Bake the dough in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) fan-assisted oven or 180°C (350°F) top and bottom heat for approximately 18 to 20 minutes. The lambs are done when the edges are lightly browned. After cooling, you can place the two lambs together and wrap them in a cellophane bag. They’ll make a decorative alternative to a sponge cake Easter lamb, and best of all, you don’t need a lamb mold. Plus, they’ll easily keep for a week or more.