CRUST
NONE
CHEESECAKE---
6 c Farmers Cheese; 3 Lbs, *
1 1/2 c Confectioners' Sugar
1/2 c Candied Fruits
1/2 c Almonds; Toasted, Slivered
1/2 lb Butter; NO Margarine
6 Egg Yolks; Large
1 1/2 c Heavy Cream
1/2 c Raisins; Seedless
1/2 ts Lemon Rind; Grated
3 ts Vanilla Extract
-------SABAYON SAUCE-
2 Egg Yolks; Large
1/2 ts Lemon Rind; Grated
1 tb Lemon Juice
1/4 c Madeira
3 tb Confectioners' Sugar
1 tb Rum; Light
* You can also use Large-Curd Cottage Cheese if the Farmers Cheese
is
~-----
~-- NOTE: THIS IS A SPECIAL CAKE REQUIRING A NEW LARGE FLOWER POT 7
X 7-INCHES AT A MINIMUM. Press the cheese through a sieve. Combine
the cheese with the egg yolks, beating in 1 yolk at a time. Add the
sugar and blend well. Heat the cream in a large saucepan until it
almost boils, then add the cheese mixture and cook over low heat,
stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the
heat before it begins to boil. Stir in the fruits, almonds, and
lemon rind. Cool. Cream together the butter and the vanilla, then
stir into the cooled cheese mixture. Line the flower pot with
several layers of moistened cheesecloth, leaving enough cloth at the
top to form a flap that will cover the pot. Fill the pot with the
cheese mixture and cover with the flap. Put a weight on the top and
place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. The whey (liquid) will
drip out the bottom of the pot, so be sure to place a pan under it.
When drained, carefully unmold the cake with a knife. Remove the
cheesecloth and smooth the sides with a hot knife. Prepare the
sauce. Beat together the egg yolks, sugar, Madeira, and lemon rind
in the top of a double boiler. Cook and continue beating until the
mixture thickens. Stir in the lemon juice and the rum, then chill
briefly. Pour the sauce over the cheesecake and serve. NOTE: This
very unusual cheesecake is a traditional Russian Easter dish. In the
old days, the custom was to decorate it with paper flowers or
religious emblems and have the priest come by and bless it. Back
then, it was made in a special pyramid-shaped form, but you can make
it in an ordinary red clay flower pot. Visually, the effect is quite
striking, and the drainage hole allows the excess whey to escape. To
make paskha, you will need a large flower pot and some cheesecloth.
The paskha will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, but be
sure to make it at least three days in advance.
