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Identity crisis….

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This Cranberry Orange Charlotte Russe has lady fingers wrapped around a creamy cranberry orange bavarian topped with caramel.

Orange Cranberry Charlotte Russe

So to round out what had already been a very odd week, Little Fuzzy Bunny (LFB) was scheduled to be spayed on Tuesday.

After getting blood work and the once over LFB was cleared for surgery and I went home (this was around 9am).

Now even though spay and neutering is very routine I was still a tad nervous, as anytime a small animal goes under anesthesia it is never good, and LFB is only a little over 2 pounds total.

Around 2 pm I got a phone call from the veterinarian.

I was suppose to get LFB at 3 pm and so I assumed it was them telling me that everything had gone well and I can pick up LFB in about an hour.

But instead it was the Vet telling me that there was a problem.

My heart sank.

I asked if something had gone wrong in the surgery and he told me no, that LFB had not even gone into surgery yet.

At this point I was confused.

The Vet told me that he was embarrassed to say this but that LFB could  not be spayed that day.

I asked why not and he said because LFB was not a girl, but at BOY.

Yes, that’s right my little baby bunny girl who has been referred to as a girl for the last 7 months is indeed a boy.

You see, I was told that LFB was a girl.

I had never noticed any “parts” and LFB had never displayed any boy behaviors of any boy bunnies I had in the past.

But sure enough when they shaved him down, there in all it’s less than glory was his tiny manhood.

So tiny in fact that a veterinarian who specializes in rabbits didn’t catch on.

Lucky for us he has no idea and hopefully isn’t having any sort of identity crisis.

LFB is doing well now.

We laughed and laughed and I told him no worries as I had told him that “she” was a girl.

He asked if I wanted LFB to be neutered and I did…so in a way LFB is back to being a girl. 😉

It has taken some getting used to.

We still slip up and call him a her.

I still slip up and call him girly, girl (a former nickname).

He has recovered just fine…at least physically. 😉

When I was stressing over the surgery I was figuring out what to do with some cranberries I bought.

I originally thought I was going to make a cranberry lime semifreddo.

But I had no limes and it was a little too cold that day to be wanting anything frozen.

Having bought some ladyfingers and then doing nothing with them I decided to make a Charlotte.

A Cranberry Orange Charlotte Russe filled with a cranberry orange Bavarian cream.

This will blow away any cranberry Jello salad that anyone brings to the Thanksgiving day table.

Want More Cranberry Recipes?

Cranberry Orange Layer Cake

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

Jellied Cranberry Sauce Bread

Cranberry Orange Pistachio Cookies

White Chocolate Dipped Orange Cranberry Cupcakes

Orange Cranberry Charlotte Russe

Orange Cranberry Charlotte Russe

Ingredients

  • 1 package ladyfinger cookies (about 20-25)
  • cranberry orange bavarian (recipe follows)
  • caramel sauce (you can use store bought)
  • For the Cranberry-Orange Bavarian:
  • 2 eggs, separated (at room temperature)
  • 2/3  cup fresh cranberries
  • 3 TBSP fresh orange juice
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it)
  • 2 TBSP superfine sugar
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp powdered gelatin.

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan add the cranberries, orange juice and ¼ cup vanilla sugar.
  2. Cook over medium-high heat until the cranberries start to make a popping sound, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  3. Run cranberry mixture through a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
  4. In a metal or glass bowl, add the egg yolks, remaining ¼ cup vanilla sugar and cranberry mixture. Whisk together to combine.
  5. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler if you have one), whisk until the mixture is thickened and hot. Keep whisking the whole time to prevent the mixture from becoming scrambled eggs. This will take about 3-5 minutes depend on the conductivity of you bowl.
  6. Remove the bowl from the pan and move to an ice bath ( a large bowl full of ice cubes). You are wanting to cool down the mixture.
  7. While still warm, sprinkle gelatin evenly over the cranberry-egg mixture.
  8. Whisk to incorporate. Keep whisking until mixture has cooled to room temperature. You don't want it to get cooler than that as the gelatin will start to set if you let it get too cool.
  9. In a thoroughly clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and whip on high speed with an electric mixer (or whisk by hand if you are wanting a workout) until they start to get frothy.
  10. Slowly sprinkle in the superfine sugar and whip until the egg whites are peaking.
  11. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chilled cranberry mixture.
  12. Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  13. Again with the spatula, gently fold into the cranberry mixture.
  14. Set ladyfingers into a Charlotte mold.
  15. Pour Bavarian into the center of the mold, careful to not cover up the ladyfingers.
  16. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  17. Unmold the Charlotte and serve chilled with a little caramel sauce on top if desired.
  18. Scoop the leftover Bavarian into glasses and chill for 4 hours
© Peabody

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Comments

  3. Oh my gosh! I’m glad she…I mean he (that’s hard to get used to after reading all your stories about your little Girl, ugh, boy) is ok! I was nervous at first! I might have to steal your cranberry charlotte for my turkey day. I wanted to make something different this year, and had also bought a bag of cranberries and now think I’ll put them to good use!

    Reply

  7. You don’t know how much that made me laugh! Ha! It’s lucky the little Bun isn’t a child, otherwise s/he’d blame you in therapy for the rest of his/her natural life!

    I wonder if this tale of gender confusion will hurt the little rabbit’s chance at political office someday, though.

    Reply

  8. Ha! This happened with my cat, too. When she was a stray kitten, the people who found her thought she was a boy and named her Winston. Now she is Winnie. 🙂 Glad to hear your bunny is healthy and fine!

    Reply

  9. I made cranberry crumble bars today and they are so sour – not in a bad way, but moreso than I was expecting. I’m going to read yours and others cranberry recipes to see how to tame the sour beast!

    Hilarious about your honey bunny!

    Reply

  11. So funny! Fuzzy Bunny has boy parts. teehee. I hear ya about surgery on small animals. Even though spay and neuters aren’t *that* invasive I always worry about my buns going under anesthesia. Glad LFB is recovering well.
    /Clara

    Reply

  12. So glad all is well with LFB. Boy or girl, she, I mean, he is a cutie. Yes, that dessert would blow the cool whip off any other Thanksgiving dessert.

    Reply

  14. Oboy! Thank goodness Freud doesn’t apply to animals at all 😛 Man that charlotte looks good. I really have to try making one one of these days. It’s going to take some dexterity to keep the ladyfingers from collapsing over each other as I put the filling in 🙂

    Reply

  15. Ah, no way, that’s too funny! I always wonder about certain small animals (like fish, especially) so I’m not at all surprised when mistakes like that happen. It’s still weird to think about though!

    Reply

  16. How decadent. I was just thinking that trifle is a lovely dessert yesterday – cake, fruity flavors and custard. You refine that thought by presenting me with this delicious looking charlotte!

    Reply

  21. hahaha! Thank you, I really laughed at that! I hope pretty LFB is doing fine now, minus his parts he never knew he had! Is his eye problem history now too?

    Reply

  22. That is a hoot about LFB’s gender…and glad he is doing OK. The bavarian is lovely. Other guests should remember that you are competitive and no matter what they bring, it will be beaten by your cuisine! It’s sure pretty, too.

    Reply

  23. Glad to hear LFB is doing well 🙂

    We had that happen with our cat who was a stray. We named her Orangina and then when we took her to the vet, we found out she was really a he. So he was renamed Orangey.

    Reply

  25. i find this story immensely funny. i’ve often wondered about those parts on certain animals. and birds. where are they located? do they even have them? hmm.
    meanwhile, your treat looks elegant and delicate and delicious. nicely done.

    Reply

  27. What a great story! I guess our little ones (kids, pets, etc.) are always full of surprises 🙂

    That charlotte looks gorgeous! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving 🙂

    Reply

  29. Love the Charlotte, one my favorite desserts and oh yes, gender stuff, good read. Like all children, love them for what they are. Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

    Reply

  30. Ah yes, my little bunny “Beatrix” turned out to be a boy…figured that out when she/he decided to start fornicating with my other female bunny. Sigh. I still kept the Beatrix names as she/he was used to it 🙂

    Reply

  33. we were told our bunny was a boy, but I couldn’t see his boy parts. I even had a diagram showing me wha to look for and I didn’t see them. We took him to the vet for a nail clipping and a check up and I had him sexed. After having him for 10 months, it was confirmed that he was/is a boy.

    We call him : Little man, Buddy, Silly Guy

    Hope those new boy nicknames help 🙂

    Reply

  35. Your Charlotte looks spectacular! And, my husband’s childhood cat had the same identity crisis. After going to be neutered, they quickly changed it’s name from Natalie to Nat!

    Reply

  40. omg that is the funniest (but not really) story! from the comments, it sounds like this isn’t uncommon though…huh.

    love the charlotte. looks beautiful–and tasty!

    Reply

  44. That’s hilarious. Probably about best case scenario for things that could go “wrong” as the vets.

    I’ve never had a charlotte before. Looks really good!

    Reply

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