Name: Pashka
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 600 gm fresh cottage cheese (see note); 180 gm caster sugar; 90 gm unsalted butter, softened; 90 gm each of glacé red cherries and candied cedro (see note), finely chopped; 60 gm sultanas; 45 gm whole blanched almonds; 3 eggs; 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste (see note); 80 gm sour cream (1/3 cup)

Pashka, the Russian word for Easter and also the traditional accompaniment to kulich, is a creamy mix of fresh curd cheese, such as cottage or ricotta, and eggs, almonds and glacé fruit. It is great smeared over a slice of kulich. In Russia the symbols XB are usually pressed on the side, which in Cyrillic script stands for Christ has risen. You can make a large one to share or smaller individual ones.

Ingredients

600 gm fresh cottage cheese (see note)

180 gm caster sugar

90 gm unsalted butter, softened

90 gm each of glacé red cherries and candied cedro (see note), finely chopped

60 gm sultanas

45 gm whole blanched almonds

3 eggs

1½ tsp vanilla bean paste (see note)

80 gm sour cream (1/3 cup)

Method

Main

1.Using the back of a spoon, press cottage cheese through a fine sieve placed over a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream, and stir to combine. Add sour cream and stir until mixture is smooth.

2.Line six 1 cup-capacity plastic flower pots or pudding moulds with a hole in the base with muslin, allowing excess to overhang. Divide mixture among moulds and fold over muslin to cover. Place on a tray and weight down with food cans. Refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour), then unmould and serve with slices of kulich to the side. Pashka will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Fresh cottage cheese is much drier than tub cottage cheese. It’s available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute with ricotta. Candied cedro is available from David Jones Foodhalls. If unavailable, substitute with other candied fruit. Vanilla bean paste is available from
and select supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute with vanilla extract.
Notes

Styling by Rodney Dunn

Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Styling by Élodie Rambaud

Ingredients

Method

Main

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