Three things for Easter
Easter bunny biscuit, Easter Eggs recipe, Paskha recipe
Happy Easter! Here are three things to brighten your day / long weekend
🐣
This biscuit
This cookbook — 101 Fun Food to Make — I found on the street (seriously). It was a such a great find as I have baked from it loads
This recipe for Easter Eggs is very charming
I’ve never made or eaten a Paskha before (a Russian Easter cake) but it looks pretty damn good. Taken from a 1980s cheesecake cookbook
PASKHA
(RUSSIAN EASTER CAKE)
750 g/1½ lb full-fat curd cheese
100 g/4 oz unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
100 g/4 oz sugar
½ teaspoon rosewater
175 ml/6 fl oz soured cream
50 g/2 oz blanched chopped almonds
100 g/4 oz seedless raisins
100 g/4 oz chopped mixed candied fruit
50 g/2 oz glacé cherries, chopped
50 g/2 oz chopped mixed candied peel
Decoration
glacé fruits
1 glacé cherry
Serves 10
50-g/2 oz chopped mixed candied fruit
Line a clean, new flowerpot with a large piece of cheesecloth. The cloth should be large enough to cover the insides of the pot and then cover the cheese when potted. Press the cloth firmly against the sides of the pot, and let the excess hang over the edge.
Beat the cheese in a bowl until it is fluffy. Beat in the butter. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until light and pale-coloured, then beat in the rosewater. Beat the egg mixture into the cheese mixture, then beat in the soured cream. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over high heat, stirring until the almonds give off their aroma. Stir the toasted almonds into the cheese mixture. Stir in the candied fruit, cherries and peel, making sure all are evenly distributed. Turn the mixture into the lined flowerpot. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the filling. Place a saucer on top and weigh it down with a
1-kg/2-Ib weight or can. Stand the pot in the refrigerator on a strong oven rack (such as the rack from the grill pan), with a saucer underneath it to catch the whey as it drips out. Chill for 24 hours.
To unmould the cheesecake, remove the weight and saucer. Uncover the cheese mixture. Invert a flat plate over it and then turn the pot upside down onto the plate. Carefully remove the cheesecloth, then decorate with the glacé fruits, chopped candied fruit and glacé cherry.