Easter traditions: How to make a Polish butter lamb

Edison's Terry Antoniewicz makes a celebratory butter lamb for Easter in the Polish tradition. (Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)

Traditionally, Polish Catholics gave up dairy and eggs for Lent, but that didn't mean the cows and the chickens went on vacation. The eggs were elaborated decorated, and the "pysanki" were given to the local priests, placed at the graves of loved ones, and exchanged with friends and family. But the milk was still churned into butter, and for the Easter feast, it was whimsically sculpted into a lamb, representing the Paschal lamb of Jesus Christ, according to Terry Antoniewicz, an Edison artist (and former caterer) who lectures on Polish customs.

All it takes to make your own butter lamb is a couple of sticks of chilled butter, a knife, and a potato ricer. Antoniewicz crafts the lamb in a matter of minutes; the butter-fingered among us might require a little more time, but the longer you take, the more the butter will melt, so aim for playful, not perfection, she says.



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Start by slicing off the end of a stick of butter slightly larger than a square; that's the head. Place it atop one end of the remaining stick, perpendicular to the stick. From another stick, slice off a chunk about the size of the top of your thumb and stick it to the front of the head; shape it into the form of a muzzle. Form little triangles for ears and place on either side of the head.

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Scoop more butter into a potato ricer (the smaller the perforations, the better), and squeeze out about a quarter to a half an inch of butter threads. Scrape the butter from the ricer with a knife and dab on the sculpture. Repeat until the entire body is covered except for the face. For eyes, insert two cloves, although peppercorns work in a pinch. To serve, place on a bed of curly parsley, and most importantly, don't listen to anyone who protests that it's too cute to eat.