Pascha (Cooked Cheesecake)

Ingredients

8 cups of milk

2 tsp of vanilla extract or one vanilla bean

17 oz (500 ml) of sour cream

6 eggs

2 sticks of butter at room temperature (250 g)

3/4 of a cup of confectioners sugar

Mix of dried fruit (about a cup)

Directions

Boil milk with vanilla occasionally stirring it.

While the milk is heating up, beat the eggs with the sour cream.

To the boiled milk, gradually pour in the egg and sour cream mixture constantly stirring it.

Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until whey and curds form. This process will take between 15 and 20 min. You have successfully made homemade cheese 🙂

Put a colander in the sink or on top of a bowl, place a thin, cotton kitchen towel inside of the colander, and pour the mixture in. The whey will flow out while the curds stay. Press the cheese mixture down to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Leave it for the night allowing it to completely dry.

The next day, mix the butter and sugar together. (butter at room temperature)

Next, place the cheese in a bowl and slowly start adding the butter and sugar mix in while mixing it. Don’t do it the other way around. Add the dried fruit. Mix everything until it forms a smooth mixture.

In a medium bowl, place a clean, thin, cotton kitchen towel, pour the cheese mixture into the bowl, and press it down. Cover it and place it in the fridge for the night.

Flip the bowl upside down onto a plate, take off the towel, and the dessert is ready. You can decorate it with dried fruit, if you would like.

Best served chilled.

Thoughts

Pascha is a dessert made in Poland usually for Easter, but it is perfect for any time of year, especially during the warmer months.

This year was the first year I made pascha. I searched for a recipe and found this one on one of my favorite Polish blogs. I was a little afraid of making it as the process seemed complicated, but in fact, it was not. It turned out to be very simple, quick, and almost mess free.

The texture is that of a very smooth, light cheesecake. It is not too sweet. There is a perfect balance of delicate flavors. I am looking forward to making it again soon as this has become my favorite cheese dessert!

Enjoy 🙂