Butter Lamb HQ - by Katie Merchant
A couple of years ago I was researching butter molds, looking to make a butter-shaped bunny or lamb for an Easter lunch to accompany hot cross buns (if you’re in Toronto, Robinson Bread’s are the best). I ended up coming across an image of a case full of butter lambs, abandoned any idea of making my own and instead drove to Buffalo, NY.
Malczewski Butter Lamb (what I like to call Butter Lamb HQ) is located in the bustling Broadway Market in Buffalo, NY. The market is filled with Easter-related delights including chocolate in just about any shape you can imagine (from ballet flats to chickens), rows of yellow Peeps and stalls studded with potted purple and pink hyacinths. And, of course, the butter lambs.
These butter lambs originated in 1963, when Dorothy Malczewski opened a poultry stand in the Broadway Market. That year she found her father’s wooden lamb mold from Poland in the attic and started making butter lambs one by one. The butter lambs went over so well that she began distributing them to other local stores and chain supermarkets and the spring tradition has only continued to grow, beloved by people of all denominations.
Pictured below is a newspaper interview with Dorothy from April 15, 2016. I love that she got into the lamb-making business in order to make prettier butter lambs than the ones that were currently on offer - although she won’t give up her secret on how she makes the fleece curls!
The first time I went I made the mistake of visiting the Saturday of Easter weekend and was met (much to my dismay!) with a sold-out case, proving their immense popularity. Luckily a single packaged butter lamb was retrieved from the back store room - this did the trick to accompany the hot cross buns. (I highly recommend showing up to a gathering with a butter lamb in tow.)
Last year, my husband and I went the Saturday before Easter weekend and were greeted with a case full of beautiful butter lambs of all sizes. I sent out this post a little early in case anyone reading wants to pay the butter lambs a visit. There really is something fun and exciting about seeing the rows of lambs with their fleece curls and peppercorn eyes, adorned with red and lavender bows (which Dorothy added because she loves the colour). The lambs come in two poses - straight face or head turn.
While in Buffalo I also love visiting Parkside Candy. I love a classic ice cream parlour (as I’ve written about here) and Parkside Candy is just that. Opened in 1927 the interior features a solid walnut soda fountain, a black and white checkered floor and a curved booth at the back (where apparently a number of marriage proposals have been made).
Sit in the romantic booth, order a classic sundae with hot fudge sauce and salted peanuts and then browse their selection of chocolates to take home (I love their old fashion nonpareils and red-foiled long stem roses). Their Easter windows are not to be missed!
A short walk up the street from Parkside Candy is O’Connell’s, a menswear store, also from out of time. Stacks and stacks of pants, ties, belts, rainbows of shetland sweaters, long brimmed caps.
Another favourite stop is COOCOOU, an eclectic antique shop. If you go on a Saturday afternoon, you are likely to run into a regular customer, Stanley, a perfect white standard poodle amongst the wares.
This year I ended up getting my own lamb mold, not to use for butter, but with the intention of making a Spring cake. As I was thinking about what type of cake would make the best lamb, I opened up the mold and a folded paper with recipe suggestions came out, one of which was using it to shape Rice Krispie treats. OF COURSE. NOW WE’RE TALKING. So behold, my Rice Krispie Lamb:
My favourite Rice Krispie treats tip is from
(as mentioned here in my Cookie Box Blog): to always melt a bit of white chocolate with the butter and marshmallows. I adapted David Lebovitz’s recipe to scale for the lamb, minus the peanuts. A helpful suggestion from the manufacturer’s recipe card was to leave an inch of space between the two halves when molding in order to create a plump lamb.Last spring I was walking past a hat shop in Toronto and this tall straw beauty caught my eye - I was ENCHANTED. After thinking about it for a week or so I went back and had one made for me. I hadn’t owned a straw hat since I was little (my mom used to host an Easter hat decorating party for me and my friends). Last year I wore it very casually with sweatshirts (inspiration drawn from the above pic), but this year it will be more child-at-breakfast-in-Death-in-Venice style.
Thank you for reading <3
Parisian lamb mold postscript from E. Dehillerin last March.
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