Here are some traditional Russian foods that are prepared at Easter. The units are given in metric with a conversion table given at the bottom of the page.

This is a Russian Easter cake called Czar's Paskha. "Paskha" is Russian for Easter

You will need:
  • 1 kg. Cottage cheese
  • 5 eggs
  • 200 grams butter
  • 400 grams sour cream
  • 400-800 grams sugar
  • vanilla to taste
  • raisins to taste
  • cinnamon to taste
  • chopped almonds to taste
How To Make Your Czar's Paskha

Take 1 kg. of cottage cheese and rub it through a sieve. Then mix it with 5 eggs, 200 g. of butter and 400 g. of sour cream. Put the mixture into a saucepan with a heavy bottom and cook over medium/high heat. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. When it reaches the boiling point (when the first bubble appears), remove the saucepan from the heat, set the pan in a large bowl filled with ice and stir until it cools down. Then add 400-800 grams of sugar according to taste (it's better to use fine sugar). Add raisins, some vanilla, cinnamon and pounded almonds to season to taste. Stir thoroughly.

Put the mixture into a paskha form lined with a linen napkin and place it under pressure. The paskha form must have the shape of a truncated pyramid as in the illustration above.

Here is an easier recipe for this popular Russian Easter treat.
You will need:
  • 1 kg. dry curds from cottage cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Vanilla
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 200 grams sugar
  • 200 grams butter
  • chopped walnuts or hazel nuts and raisins
How to Make Your Simple Paskha

Take 1 kg. of dry, cottage cheese curds (dry them by placing them in cheesecloth and sqeezing the liquid out of the curds). Rub the dry curds through a sieve. Cream butter and sugar together and add egg yolks. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and vanilla. Stir in chopped walnuts or hazel-nuts and raisins.

Stir mixture thoroughly. Press tightly into a paskha form (see truncated pyramid above), cover with a linen napkin, put under pressure and place in the refrigerator.

When serving, put paskha on a flat plate.

A Russian Easter Cake
You will need:
  • 1 kg. of flour
  • 1 1/2 cup of milk
  • 6 eggs separated
  • 300 grams butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 50 grams yeast
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 150 grams of raisins
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla
How to Make Your Koolich.

Step 1

Dissolve yeast in 1-1/2 cups of warm milk, add half of the flour, stir, cover and put in a warm place to rise.
Step 2

Cream 5 egg yolks with sugar and vanilla
Step 3

When the volume doubles, add salt, yolks, butter, beaten up whites of eggs, the rest of the flour and stir it well. The dough should be not very dense. Place dough in a warm place again.

Step 4

When its volume doubles, add raisins and put into the bowl. For a light cake fill the bowl for 1/3 of its height, for a dense one - for 2/3. Place in a warm place.

Step 5

When dough rises to 3/4 of its height, put it into the oven and bake at 390-410 F for 50-60 minutes.

Step 6

Enjoy your Russian Easter cake!

A Russian Easter Meal traditionally served with non-fat milk or fruit kissel.
You will need:
  • 500 Gram
  • Almonds
  • Cinnamon
  • Raisins
  • Sugar to taste
How to Make Your Kootya.

Take rice, wash it, pour cold water over it and boil. Then put it into a colander and wash well with cold water. Cover the rice with cold water and cook until tender, without stirring. Pour out the water and cool the rice. Take almonds, scald them, grind, add some sugar, mix, add a small amount of water, mix with rice. Add cinnamon, 200 grames of scalded raisins and mix thoroughly. Lay the mixture onto a big plate, flatten its top and sprinkle with sugar according to your taste.

Wheaten Kootya

This is a whole wheat variation. Take entire grain of hulled wheat ( or wheat groats ), cover with cold water and cook over med/high heat until it becomes soft.
Put rice into a colander. Dissolve 200 grams of honey in 4 cups of water and pour it over the wheat. Cook over low/medium heat heating until boiling, and then cool rice.

Conversion Chart

1kg = 1000g = 2.2 pounds
1g = 0.35 oz.
1 pound = 454 grams = 0.45 kg
1 ounce = 28.3 grams
Send An E-Mail Easter Basket or Card
Send An E-Mail Easter E-Card, E-Egg or E-Basket

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Sara (yes, I can explain it all)
Sara@openhere.com

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