Paska Food

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.

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").

PASKA EASTER BREAD

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

UKRAINIAN EASTER PASKA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl combine yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 warm water (100° to 110°).
• Mix until smooth.
• Set bowl aside until mixture is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.
• FOR THE SPONGE: Add 4 cups of the flour and milk to yeast mixture.
• With a wooden spoon, mix until well combined.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until double in size, about 30 minutes.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 3 eggs, 8 egg yolks, and sugar until light and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
• Add the SPONGE mixture.
• Add salt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, orange zest, rum or brandy, melted butter, and vegetable oil.
• Whisk on medium speed until combined.
• Remove whisk attachment from machine, and fit with the dough hook attachment.
• With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add enough of the remaining 8 cups flour until dough comes away from side of bowl.
• Transfer dough to a clean work surface.
• Knead dough, adding any remaining flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a large bowl, and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap.
• Place in a warm spot away from drafts, and let it rise until double in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• {Ihad no dough hook so I used wooden spoon and then my hands,{mix well at least 15 min.
• by hand} Place rack in lower two-thirds of oven, and heat to 350°.
• Butter two 9-inch saucepans.
• Cut a piece of waxed paper{I use parchment paper} about 2 inches longer than the circumference of the saucepan.
• Fold this in half lengthwise to make a double thickness.
• Place inside the saucepan, patting it to adhere to the butter.
• The collar should extend 3 to 4 inches above the rim of the saucepan.
• Seal the 2-inch flap with more butter.
• {Butterwaxed paper or parchment too}[I like to cut out circles and put on the bottom off pan, paska comes out easier] When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down, and set aside one-third of dough in a medium bowl covered with plastic wrap for decorations.
• Divide remaining two-thirds dough evenly between saucepans.
• Place bowl and saucepans of dough in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, on a clean work surface, shape reserved dough into desired motifs—solar, crosses, rosettes, birds, braids, scrolls, etc.
• Keep any dough that is not being used covered with plastic to prevent it from drying out.
• TO ATTACH MOTIFS: Brush surface of risen dough in saucepans with 3 lightly beaten egg whites.
• Attach decorative dough ornaments, using a toothpicks to secure motifs to loaves and leave them on until paska is baked and then gently remove toothpicks.
• Keep in a warm place to rise until it reaches almost the top of pans, 20 to 30 minutes.
• FOR THE GLAZE: In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water.
• Brush egg mixture on surface of loaves.
• Bake 350 F.
• for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325°, and bake for an additional 50 minutes.
• Cool paska in pans for 30 minutes.
• When paska has cooled but is still warm, gently remove from pans, and transfer to a rack to cool.
• Makes two 9-inch round loaves.

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.