A basic Pascha Basket…
Here are some explained symbolic Easter foods that traditionally make it into the Pascha basket:
Kulich freshly baked and topped with white icing and colorful sprinkles and the letters XB which stands for Christ is Risen… (Христос Bоскрес!)
Pascha a pyramid-shaped cheese dessert made with farmers cheese, eggs, butter, raisins and almonds…
Colored eggs hard boiled and dyed either blood red to represent the Resurrection and new life…
Ham or lamb meat symbolize the great joy and abundance of Easter…
Butter is typically shaped into a figure of a lamb or a three-barred (Russian) cross and reminds us of the goodness of Christ…
Horseradish grated with red beets is symbolic of the Passion of Christ; he bittersweet flavors also remind us of his resurrection…
Special Blessed candles symbolizes the light of the world and light of Jesus Christ…
Verba (Pussy Willow) branch as a symbol of new life and new beginnings…
Below is not my recipe. It is from people I know here in Russia and I have never made Paskha…
A Pascha…
Paskha — also known as Пасха, paskha, pasca and pascha — is a pyramid-shaped confection that is served for Easter in the Eastern Orthodox homes of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and also in Poland and Lithuania. Similar in taste to a cheesecake without the crust, paskha is traditionally spread on slices of kulich, a sweet Easter bread.
Ingredients:
Farmer’s cheese – 2 pounds
Unsalted butter, room temperature – 1/2 pound
Sugar – 1 1/2 cups
Egg yolks, hard-cooked – 6
Heavy cream – 1 cup
Blanched almonds, finely ground – 1/2 cup
Vanilla – 1 1/2 teaspoons
Raisins – 1/4 cupLets make:
Drain farmer’s cheese overnight in a fined-meshed sieve or through several layers of cheesecloth. After the cheese has drained, press it through a medium-meshed sieve once or twice to break up the curds and make it light and fluffy. Set aside…
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes…
Beat in the egg yolks one at a time…
Reduce speed to medium low and beat in the farmer’s cheese, heavy cream, almonds and vanilla…
Line a pashka mold or a clean terracotta flowerpot with cheesecloth that has been rinsed with water and squeezed dry…
Fill the mold or pot with the cheese mixture…
Never Stop!
Place a lid or a small plate on top of the mold and set a weight on top. Place the mold in a bowl to catch any liquid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours…
Remove the paskha from the mold onto a serving plate and use the raisins to decorate the sides…
Again: Now you know a bit more about Russia…
WtR