Osterhasen (Easter Bunny)

1/2 cup Milk
1 Package Yeast
3/4 cup Sugar
4 cups All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt 1 stick of Unsalted Butter, room-temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) Quark
1 Egg Yolk
Raisins or Nuts, Powdered Sugar (for decorating)

Heat milk to luke warm. In a small bowl, add the milk, yeast, 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Combine and cover with plastic wrap. Allow yeast to become active. It should begin to bubble after 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients. Add yeast mixture. Mix until a dough forms.

Cover dough and allow to rise in a warm location until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove dough from bowl onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for a few minutes to remove some of the air bubbles that have formed. Divide the dough into one large piece (for the body of the rabbit), a smaller piece (for the head), two long strips (for the arms), and two small pieces (for the ears.) Form the pieces into a rabbit shape (as shown above in the photo) and place cake on a wheet pan lined with parchment paper or greased with butter. Brush cake with egg yolk. Use the raisins or nuts to make eyes and a nose. Allow cake to rise for another 20 minutes.

Bake cake until it is golden brown. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely.

Combine a few drips of water with a 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar. Use this icing to form whiskers on the face of the rabbit.