Paskha Recipes

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).

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:

• Put cheese through a sieve twice. Cream butter until white (preferably with an electric mixer). Cut up vanilla very fine and mix with sugar. Beat egg yolks well and add sugar, beating until almost white. Combine egg yolk mixture and butter and beat until smooth and well blended. Add butter-egg mixture to the cheese and beat with a wooden spoon. Whip cream and add it gently to the mixture, turning from bottom to top slowly to fold in the cream. Wrap paskha in cheesecloth (damp gauze may be used) and place it in a paskha from or a clean terra cotta flower pot with a hole in the bottom. Close cheesecloth or gauze over the top of the paskha and place either a wooden square of paskha form or a weight on top (a small, heavy casserole or two or three cans will do). Leave in the refrigerator on a plate for one day so that the liquid can drain off the paskha. Before serving, remove the paskha from the refrigerator, remove the weight, unwrap the cheesecloth ends, place a large round platter over the top, and quickly invert the paskha onto the platter. Remove cheesecloth.

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:

• Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl until slightly frothy.
• In the meantime, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in the warm milk; allow to cool to lukewarm. Once cooled, add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture along with 4 cups of flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover and put in a dark, warm place until the mixture is bubbly and doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Stir in the beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup butter, salt, and lemon peel. Stir well to blend. Begin adding the remaining flour a cup at a time to form a very soft dough.
• Knead the dough on a floured board until soft and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down, and allow to rise again for 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into three parts (see Cook's Note). Shape into slightly rounded loaves, and place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush onto loaves.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until loaves are deep brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Once they are done, brush the tops with melted butter for a soft crust.

Steps:

• Drain farmer's cheese of all moisture by placing cheesecloth in colander and weighting down with bricks or other heavy items. Drain overnight in refrigerator.
• Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until creamy.
• Whip 1/2 cup sugar with the 5 egg yolks until white.
• Add the insides of 2 vanilla beans to the egg yolk. (cut in half and scrape inside out.) Chop the outside of 1 vanilla bean as finely as possible and add to egg yolk mixture.
• Mix the butter-sugar mixture and the yolk mixture together. Add cheese and mix thoroughly.
• Whip the whipping cream until firm and fold into above.
• Line container of choice (wooden mold, clay flower pots or kitchen colander with damped cheesecloth.
• Fill mold with cheese mixture, wrapping excess cloth over top. Make sure to place plate to catch drips underneath mold.
• Refrigerate at least 6 days before you unmold the Paskha (I have never waited this long -- ) Paskha should be firm to touch in order to hold the shape well.
• Turn mold upside down onto decorative plate and gently pull the cheesecloth off.
• Decorate with candied fruits, nuts, raisins or any other edible item you choose. Traditional decorations includes Christian symbols such as crosses, etc. This dish is only served during the Easter season in Russia.

Steps:

• NOTE: THIS IS A SPECIAL CAKE REQUIRING A NEW LARGE FLOWER POT 7 X 7-INCHES AT A MINIMUM.
• Press the cheese through a sieve.
• Combine the cheese with the egg yolks, beating in 1 yolk at a time.
• Add the sugar and blend well.
• Heat the cream in a large saucepan until it almost boils, then add the cheese mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from the heat before it begins to boil.
• Stir in the fruits, almonds, and lemon rind.
• Cool.
• Cream together the butter and the vanilla, then stir into the cooled cheese mixture.
• Line the flower pot with several layers of moistened cheesecloth, leaving enough cloth at the top to form a flap that will cover the pot.
• Fill the pot with the cheese mixture and cover with the flap.
• Put a weight on the top and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• The whey (liquid) will drip out the bottom of the pot, so be sure to place a pan under it.
• When drained, carefully unmold the cake with a knife.
• Remove the cheesecloth and smooth the sides with a hot knife.
• Prepare the sauce.
• Beat together the egg yolks, sugar, Madeira, and lemon rind in the top of a double boiler.
• Cook and continue beating until the mixture thickens.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the rum, then chill briefly.
• Pour the sauce over the cheesecake and serve.
• NOTE: This very unusual cheesecake is a traditional Russian Easter dish.
• In the old days, the custom was to decorate it with paper flowers or religious emblems and have the priest come by and bless it.
• Back then, it was made in a special pyramid-shaped form, but you can make it in an ordinary red clay flower pot.
• Visually, the effect is quite striking, and the drainage hole allows the excess whey to escape.
• To make paskha, you will need a large flower pot and some cheesecloth.
• The paskha will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, but be sure to make it at least three days in advance.