Paska Cheese Spread Recipes

Steps:

• Cream cottage cheese, butter and sugar together.
• Beat until fluffy and add the grated egg yolks.
• Heat cream with vanilla in a small pot over medium heat just until bubbles appear. Don't boil.
• Add all at once to cottage cheese mixture; mix well.
• For a smoother spread, process small portions at a time in blender.
• Turn into freezer container.
• To use within a week or two, refrigerate.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese or farmer's cheese, sugar, cream cheese, and egg yolks, stirring to mix.
• In batches, process the mixture in a food processor, adding an equal amount of cream to each batch, until completely smooth. Transfer back to the bowl.
• Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the cheese mixture along with the raisins. Mix thoroughly.
• Line a clean, unused 8-cup flower pot with a double layer of rinsed and squeezed-dry cheesecloth. Spoon the cheese mixture into the lined pan, then fold the ends of the cheesecloth neatly over the top. Place a saucer on the cheesecloth, then a 2-pound weight, such as a can, on the saucer. Put the flower pot in a bowl large enough for the liquid to drain into. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Empty the bowl. Unmold the pashka onto a serving plate and carefully remove the cheesecloth. Decorate with candied fruit, pressing some of the fruit into the pashka to form the letters XP, which stands for Khristos voskres ("Christ has risen").

Steps:

• Combine farmer cheese, cream cheese, butter, and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; mix on low speed to combine. Add sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and orange zest; mix until Paska mixture is smooth.
• Line a sieve with dampened cheesecloth, leaving an overhang on all sides. Place over a plate that will catch any additional liquid that drains out.
• Spoon Paska mixture into cheesecloth. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the mixture. Cover with a plate and set a heavy weight on top.
• Chill until Paska is firm, overnight to 24 hours.
• Remove weighted plate and unfold cheesecloth ends. Use cheesecloth ends to lift Paska out. Invert onto a plate and peel away cheesecloth.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add remaining water. Beat in the milk powder and 5 cups flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Add eggs, butter, salt and remaining sugar; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half and set 1 portion aside. Divide remaining portion in half; press each portion into a well-greased 10-in. springform pan. Divide reserved dough into 6 balls. Shape each ball into a 30-in. rope; make 2 braids of 3 ropes each. Place a braid around the edge of each pan, forming a circle. Trim ends of braids, reserving dough scraps. Pinch ends of braids to seal. Shape scraps into 2 long thin ropes; form into rosettes or crosses. Place 1 decoration on the center of each loaf. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. , In a small bowl, beat egg and water; brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together and cool in fridge till firm. Spread on Paska bread slices.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream and butter.
• Gradually fold in sugar, lemon extract, vanilla extract, almonds and currants.
• Transfer the mixture to a shallow medium dish. Cover with a cloth, and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

Steps:

• Melt butter.
• add sour cream and eggs.
• Stir constantly over a low heat until it looks like loosley scrambled eggs.
• Remove and cool.
• In a large size mixing bowl, mix egg mixture with sugar, vanilla and farmer's cheese. Beat well on a low speed.
• Drape a cheese cloth over a large cheese mold or clay flower pot with hole on the bottom.
• Put weights on top to squeeze out excess water.
• Refrigerate 24 hours.
• Unmold.

Steps:

• Heat brandy with raisins in a small saucepan over low heat until warm, then remove from heat and let steep until raisins are softened, about 15 minutes.
• Force cheese and yolks through a potato ricer or a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cheese mixture, sour cream, vanilla, and salt and beat until just combined. Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks. Fold whipped cream and raisins with any remaining brandy into cheese mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Line mold (or flowerpot) with a single layer of cheesecloth, leaving a 2- to 3-inch overhang on all sides. Spoon cheese mixture into mold, then fold ends of cheesecloth over top. Put lid on cheesecloth, then put weights on lid (or on foil and small plate if using flowerpot). Chill mold on a large plate (to catch drips) at least 24 hours.
• Remove lid from mold and open cheesecloth. Invert a serving plate over top of mold and invert mold onto plate. Unlock hinges and open mold, removing cheesecloth. Loosely cover cheese with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• *Available at some supermarkets, many cheese shops, and Murray's cheese shop (888-692-4339).
• **We got our mold from Toroney's Custom Woodwork and Church Supply (610-942-3506).