Pashka Food

PASKHA

Steps:

• Press cheese through a medium strainer set over a bowl.
• Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk yolks with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; add cheese, butter, nutmeg, zest, and peel and mix until very smooth. Still mixing, add cream in a slow, steady stream just until combined. Stir in vanilla.
• Line a 5 1/2-by-7-inch paskha mold, flowerpot, or strainer with dampened cheesecloth; add batter. Fold cheesecloth over top. Top with two stacked plates weighted with 2 to 3 cans (or 2 to 3 pounds of pie weights). Place filled mold over a wide, empty cooking pot in refrigerator; let drain overnight.
• Remove weights and plate; pull back cheesecloth from base. Carefully invert mold onto a serving plate and remove paskha; remove cheesecloth. Decorate with dried fruits; serve.

PASHKA

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.

EASTER CHEESE MOLD: PASHKA

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").

PASKHA CHEESE

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).

PASKA BREAD

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.

RUSSIAN EASTER DESSERT (PASHKA)

Steps:

• Mix egg yolks and whipping cream in heavy saucepan.
• Stir in sugar and salt.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just coats a metal spoon, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
• Place saucepan in cold water until custard is cool.
• If custard curdles, beat with hand beater until smooth.
• Place 3 cups of the cottage cheese and 2 tablespoons of the butter in blender container.
• Cover and blend on medium speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth.
• Repeat with remaining cottage cheese and butter.
• Stir custard into cheese mixture until smooth.
• Stir in candied fruit and almonds.
• Line a 2-quart non-clay flower pot (or any form dish WITH OPENINGS IN THE BOTTOM, like a flower pot has) with double layer dampened cheesecloth.
• Pour cheese mixture into pot; fold ends of cheesecloth over top. Place pot on cake rack in shallow pan; place weights on top.
• Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, pouring off any liquid that accumulates in pan.
• To serve, unmold onto serving plate; remove cheesecloth.
• Garnish as desired with additional candied fruit and blanched almonds.
• Refrigerate any remaining dessert.

PASKA

Steps:

• Press cheese through a fine sieve. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Then beat in egg yolks, cheese, sour cream, raisins and vanilla. Now carefully blend in 1/2-cup heavy cream, whipped. Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth. Spoon in cheese mixture, then fold ends of cheesecloth over top. Set in a large bowl to catch any drippings. Refrigerate over night.
• Just before serving, unfold ends of cheesecloth, invert cheese mixture on serving dish, and remove the cheesecloth. Decorate with a little whipped cream, then some glaced cherries.

PASKHA - AN OLD RUSSIAN EASTER TRADITION

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.