Many of the Christian faith are making preparations for Easter (or Pascha) this week. As many of my usual readers know, I am an Orthodox Christian. Today, I thought I would share a recipe that has been used in my family long before we were in the Orthodox Church. When I was young, we had friends who were Russian Orthodox. I remember one Easter we went to their home for Pascha. What I remember most about the day was that the Matushka (priest wife) had made this enormous Cheese Pascha. It had to be two feet tall. I did not like it at first because I don’t like candied fruit. Along the years, I have found that I love it, but without the candied fruit. As a matter of fact, when I eat yellow raisins I think of Pascha. My mother made Cheese Pascha every year afterward for our home and for our parish. I grew to love it. What is so remarkable about Cheese Pascha to me is that we form it in the shape of a tomb, mark it with the letters XB – the Slavonic initials for Christ is Risen. We make it sweet to remind us Christians that we believe death no longer separates us - death has lost its sting.
Martha Lynch’s Famous Cheese Pascha (two methods)
Works best with ingredients at room temperature
Old School:
Cream together:
1lb cream cheese
1 cup confectioner sugar
Push through a sieve:
6 hard-boiled egg yolks – one by one
Beat in:
½ lb whipped sweet butter
6 hard-boiled egg yolks
Add in:
½ cup seedless yellow raisins
½ cup candied fruit
½ cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of one lemon
Place in dome like mold.
Line with plastic wrap for easy removal.
Set aside some raisins and nuts to decorate.
New Modern Method (my new twist on a great recipe):
Follow the same proportions.
In a food processor blend in: egg yolks, butter, cream cheese, and confectioner sugar (in that order)
Fold in the raisins; fruit (I never use them. I don’t like candied fruit. I double the raisins) nuts, vanilla and zest of tangerine.
Place in dome like mold. Line with plastic wrap for easy removal.
Set aside some raisins and nuts to decorate
Martha Lynch’s Famous Cheese Pascha (two methods)
Works best with ingredients at room temperature
Old School:
Cream together:
1lb cream cheese
1 cup confectioner sugar
Push through a sieve:
6 hard-boiled egg yolks – one by one
Beat in:
½ lb whipped sweet butter
6 hard-boiled egg yolks
Add in:
½ cup seedless yellow raisins
½ cup candied fruit
½ cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of one lemon
Place in dome like mold.
Line with plastic wrap for easy removal.
Set aside some raisins and nuts to decorate.
New Modern Method (my new twist on a great recipe):
Follow the same proportions.
In a food processor blend in: egg yolks, butter, cream cheese, and confectioner sugar (in that order)
Fold in the raisins; fruit (I never use them. I don’t like candied fruit. I double the raisins) nuts, vanilla and zest of tangerine.
Place in dome like mold. Line with plastic wrap for easy removal.
Set aside some raisins and nuts to decorate
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