A Russian Easter classic - a tvorog Paskha cake
During the month of March most of Russia goes vegan for the Great Lent. In a country where you’d struggle to find a decent vegetarian dish in most restaurants on any other day of the year, the power of religious convention creates nothing short of a miraculous gastronomic transformation. When I was still too young to make my own mind about religion, I fasted like the rest of my family. And while I did appreciate the noble purpose of cleansing one’s body, what I most loved about the Lent is the morning when it’s broken! Never a huge fan of meat, I easily gave up my carnivorous habits, but cheese was a true sacrifice and the thought of tasting my first dairy after 40 days of withdrawal filled me with true joy. This traditional Paskha cheese cake consumed on Easter morning could not have been more perfect for the occasions if it tried. Made up of nothing but tvorog, cream, butter, dried fruits and nuts, it is a pure dairy epiphany!
Makes one cake (6-8 portions)
75g of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3-4 tbsp of sugar
500g of ricotta
5 tbsp of sour cream
1 tsp of vanilla essence
80g of toasted almonds, roughly chopped
100g of dried fruit mix (sultanas, apricots), apricots chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
A pinch of salt
In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Then add the rest of the ingredients until well incorporated and all the dried fruit and nuts are evenly distributed.
Place the mixture into a muslin cloth and suspend it over the sink, the same way as you would when making lebneh, and leave to strain over night.
The following morning, transfer the mix into a mould, still keeping it wrapped in muslin. Traditionally, there are special pyramid-shaped engraved moulds that are used for these cakes, but you can use any medium pudding mixing bowl to achieve a dome-like shape.
Press the mix into the bowl and cover the bottom with another cloth. Place a a weight on top to keep it pressed into the shape. You can use a plate and a pint of water for that.
Leave in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
Before serving the cheese cake, remove any extra liquid that might be released, as well as the muslin cloth from the bottom. Tip it over onto a plate and remove the bowl and the rest of the cloth.
This cake is served as part of Easter breakfast spread alongside such lovely things as Kulich, a Slavic panatone, painted eggs and pancakes. So if you are not eating it the traditional Slavic way, and find that the cheesecake needs a side of crabs, why not crumble some digestive biscuits on top or serve with a side of grilled sourdough toasts drizzled with honey.
