Eastern European Molded Cheese Easter Dessert (Paska / Paskha) Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 11/29/21
Pashka (quark dessert, Poland) with crystallised orange zest
Foodcollection / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Refrigerate: 24 hrs
Total: 24 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
698 Calories
46g Fat
54g Carbs
19g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 698
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g 59%
Saturated Fat 25g 125%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 647mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 54g 20%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 43g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 480mg 37%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 247mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for a molded Easter cheese dessert is known variously as paska, pasca, paskha, and pascha.

Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish cuisine all feature paska, a word that literally means "Easter" or "pascal" for the holidays. Easter in a Russian Orthodox home isn't complete without kulich (a sweet yeast bread similar to Italian panettone) and paska blessed by the parish priest.

If you can't find dry curd cheese, you might want to make your own farmers cheese from scratch. It's easy.

This no-bake dessert traditionally is made into a round ball, a brand new terra cotta flower pot or pressed into a pyramid-shaped mold, known as pasotchnitza (пасочница in Cyrillic) and originally made of wood but now often made of plastic with the sign of the cross and other religious symbols in relief.

Paska tastes somewhat like cheesecake without the crust and is often spread on slices of kulich.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds farmers cheese, or dry curd cottage cheese

  • 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature

  • 2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds

  • 1/2 cup golden raisins

  • 1 cup candied citron, chopped

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened and whipped

  • Almonds, for garnish

  • Glacé cherries, for garnish

  • Candied citron, for garnish

  • Green leaf candies, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Pass the farmers cheese through a sieve or food mill and set aside.

  2. In the top of a double boiler, mix egg yolks with sugar. Add cream and heat over barely simmering water, stirring constantly, until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Don't overheat or the eggs will curdle.

  3. Remove from heat and add reserved cheese, almonds, raisins, citron, and vanilla, mixing well. Add butter and continue stirring until the mixture cools. This long stirring gives the paska a smooth and velvety texture.

  4. If you have a paska mold, line it with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth.

  5. Pour the mixture inside and cover with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth. Place the lid or a small plate on top and weight down with a heavy can. Place a bowl under the mold to catch any runoff and refrigerate for 24 hours.

  6. Unmold onto a serving plate and decorate with almonds, glacéed cherries, candied citron, and green leaves, if desired. Cut into thin slices as this is very rich.

  7. If using a new terra cotta flower pot, proceed as above.

  8. If forming into a ball, over the sink, wrap the mixture in a double layer of dampened cheesecloth and twist into a tight ball.

  9. Place in a colander with a bowl underneath to catch any moisture, cover with a plate and weight down with a heavy can. Proceed as above.

  10. For a perfectly round ball, close the cheesecloth with butcher's twine and then tie it to a rack in the refrigerator, suspending it over a bowl to catch drips.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.