My Russian heritage affords me some really good Easter eats. Every year we look forward to having our Easter Bread which we call Kulich in Russian and my Mennonite Friends called Paska.
We also make this yummy cheese spread to spread on this Easter Bread!
Seernaya Paska for Kulich (Russian Easter Bread) The X and the B are for Xpucmoc Bockpec (Christ Arose)
Seernaya Paska (Сырная пасха)
Ingredients:
18 – hard boiled eggs /
3 pounds Farmers cheese /a dry curd cheese like a dry cottage cheese can be substituted.
1 pint whipping cream /
3 cubes unsalted butter (12 oz.) /
3 cups sugar /
Press the Farmers cheese through a sieve. (This is the hardest part of the recipe) If you find a very small curd cheese you won’t have to do this to the cheese. I usually use a wooden spoon and press it through a wire strainer a little at a time. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. (You will not be using the whites).
Press the egg yolks through the sieve. Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks. Beat in the cheese. Add whipping cream and mix well. You will place the mixture into a strainer lined with about 3 layers of cheesecloth. You will need enough cheesecloth to wrap up and over the top of the cheese. Place the cheese mixture into the cheese cloth lined strainer or another container to mold into shape. Bring the ends of the cheese cloth up and tie the ends on top of the cheese in a knot. Place the sieve into a larger bowl suspended with enough room for the cheese to drain without sitting in the drained liquid. Place a plate on top of the cheese an place a heavy rock, brick, or other weight on top of the plate. Refrigerate over night.
I have used different shaped plastic flower pots to drain and mold the cheese into a higher domed result. If you choose to use a flower pot make sure there are enough holes in the bottom of the pot so the liquid can drain well.
This recipe is enough to feed an army. If you don’t have to feed an army here’s a scaled down version :0)
If you just want a normal amount, cut the recipe in thirds. (6 cooked egg yolks, 1-lb. cheese, 2/3 cup whipping cream, 1 cube butter and 1 cup sugar. Enjoy!
Farmers Cheese or Hoop Cheese can be hard to find. There are Russian delis that sell a dry curd cottage type cheese that will work. If you can find a dry cottage cheese at the grocers that will work too.
Here are examples of the Seernaya Paska I have made over the years.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
This is lovely and so appropriate.I’ll bet it’s delicious too…Ann
Lovely blog!
How beautiful your bread is, and thank you for educating me ~ I didn’t know the technique or details of how to serve this bread. Yours looks absolutely delicious!
I sieve the yolks when making stuffed eggs ~ it takes a little time, but is so worth it! I imagine it makes the sweet cheese as smooth as can be. I want to try this soon.
Thank you so much for sharing this! xo~m.
My son studied Russian in college, and he will have a fit over this when he sees it. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
I love that you taught us a tradition of another culture! Very interesting!
I am so fascinated by this bread and the cheese. My husband and I are of Polish descent, and I’ll make the usual cheese babka for our Easter breakfast, along with the other traditional foods that will go to church to be blessed next Saturday morning. I’m sure it will become a post. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this. I appreciate all of the work that went on to produce such lovely and meaningful results…Nancy
It looks yummy! Now I’d like to know if the Mennonites and the Molokins are related?
Years ago we did a project with our Jaycee chapter that was Easter breads from the different countries. As I recall, yours was very good. Love your bread — it is pretty (if you can call a bread pretty) . . . and the eggs around it! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, this is amazing! It looks so beautiful too!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
This not only looks delicious, but reading about it and seeing how you make it is just fascinating! What a lovely tradition. Thanks SO much for sharing it with us…
Happy Foodie Friday!
XO,
Sheila 🙂
P.S. It’s pretty, too, Ellen! 🙂
Love hearing of others traditions..Thanks for sharing!
Well, just goes to show ya, you can learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful Foodie Friday post, Ellen. Thanks, so much, for sharing.
Oh, my…this is so pretty and I know it must be really tasty..
I love the history behind the cheese spread! And it looks delicious! I’ll have to watch out for a mold before I dare it. I’m not good with pastries or anything requiring more than one equipment. LOL
Enough to feed an army unless the army is us (Ellen’s family).
That was very interesting! My husband is of Ukrainian ancestry, and he makes his Babka and rugelach.
I must contact Nancy to find out her recipe…
Thank you for sharing..it is lovely!
I’m starting to wish I was Russian again…
I love that you provided the history with the recipe! Great step-by-step, too. The cheese sounds delicious and your bread looks great. Yum!
A very interesting post — thank you for the ‘food’ education!
LaTeaDah
This not only looks pretty, it is delicious too.