Recipe for Jordanville Paskha

1. 2 1/2 # Farmers cheese
2. 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3. 1 cup heavy cream
4. 5 egg yolks
5. 4 hard-boiled egg yolks
6. 1 1/2 # extra-fine granulated sugar (not confectioner's sugar) -- in England this would be called castor sugar.
7. 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. extract
8. Optional: candied fruit, chopped

Press cheese overnight in cheesecloth-lined colander.

Cream butter and sugar well, then sieve hard-boiled yolks and add them. Mix in raw yolks [doesn't say to cream them in]. Add vanilla and cream. Add cheese and mix well. Add candied fruit if desired.

Put double layer damp cheesecloth in 2-quart clay flowerpot (with hole in bottom). Put in paskha and fold cheesecloth over top; press (refrig) for 12 hours with brick or other weight. Unmold onto plate, decorate if desired.

Supplied by David Beierl - dbeierl@attglobal.net