Paskha (Russian Cheesecake)
Submitted by Grasshopper1
Paskha: the traditional Russian Easter cheesecake, an unbaked pyramid of sweetened farmer’s cheese studded with candied fruit, raisins, and almonds, served with a madeira-rum lemon sauce. Orthodox Easter in every bite.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
3 daysPaskha: Russian Easter Cheesecake
Paskha is the crowning dessert of Russian Orthodox Easter celebrations, a no-bake, weight-pressed cheesecake shaped like a truncated pyramid to symbolize the tomb of Christ. Six cups of farmer’s cheese are sieved silky, enriched with egg yolks, cream, and butter, then studded with candied fruit, plump raisins, and slivered almonds. Three days of weighted chilling compresses and drains the mixture into something dense, creamy, and unlike any cheesecake you’ve ever had.
The traditional mold is a wooden paskha form carved with the letters XB (Christ is Risen) and religious imagery, but a clean clay flower pot is the classic home-cook substitute. The drainage hole lets whey drip out during the long cure, which is what gives paskha its signature dense, pressed texture.
Sieving the farmer’s cheese is non-negotiable. The texture of the finished paskha is silky-smooth, not curd-like, and the only way to get there is by pushing the cheese through a fine-mesh sieve twice. Skip this and the dessert reads grainy no matter what else you do.
The cooked-custard base is the second critical technique. Gently heating the egg-cheese-sugar mixture until it thickens pasteurizes the eggs and creates that rich, silky body. Never let it boil; curdled paskha is a heartbreak.
The madeira-and-rum lemon sauce is the traditional finish, bright and slightly boozy to cut the richness.
Pro Tips
- Use genuine farmer’s cheese or dry-curd cottage cheese; regular cottage cheese holds too much water and will not drain properly.
- Moisten the cheesecloth thoroughly before lining the mold; dry cloth sticks and tears when unmolding.
- Weight the top generously (a can of tomatoes works well); light weight means inadequate drainage and a soft, weepy texture.
- Plan ahead; the full cure takes 2 to 3 days and the sauce should be made fresh the day of serving.
Variations
- Replace candied fruit with chopped dried apricots and cherries for a less artificially-colored version.
- Add 2 tablespoons of orange flower water or rosewater to the base for a faint floral note.
- Serve alongside kulich, the tall yeasted Russian Easter bread, for a traditional pairing.
Ingredients
Directions
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.
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