Recipe - Paskha

2 pound Cottage cheese,drycurd
1 cup Sugar
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 pack Farmer's cheese(7 1/5 oz)
1 cup Raspberry jam,seedless
Three fourths cup Butter,unsalted,softened
2 teaspoon Lemon rind,grated
6 dr Red food coloring (optional)
1/3 cup Raisins,golden
One fourth cup Orange peel,candied,chopped
One fourth cup Almonds,ground
Candied cherries for garnish
Almonds, cut or sliced up for garnish

1. Line paskha mold or clean 7 1/2x5" plastic or unglazed flower pot with
drainage hole with 3 doublethicknesses of cheesecloth. Place on wire rack
set over cake pan.
2. Place One half pound cottage cheese, the sugar and eggs in food processor or
blender. Whirl, scraping down side as necessary, until smooth. Scrape into
mediumsize saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 6
minutes or until mixture almost somes to boiling or instantread
thermometer registers 150'F. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour into large bowl
to cool.
3. Working in 2 batches, add remaining cottage cheese, farmer's cheese,
jam, butter, lemon rind and food coloring, if using, to CLEAN food
processor or blender. Whirl, scraping down side. Whisk into bowl with
cooked cheese mixture. Stir in raisins, orange peel and almonds.
4. Pour into prepared mold. Fold excess cheesecloth over top; cover with
plastic wrap. Place flatbottomed plate or saucepan, slightly smaller than
diameter of mold, on top to weight. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Weight top
with two 23ounce cans or heavy iron skillet. Drain for 2 days in
refrigerator or until center is firm. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
5. Unmold and remove cheesecloth. Decorate mold with candied fruits and
almonds. Slice into wedges and serve as cheesecake, or spread on Kulich.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini