Pascha (Easter) Paskha Cheese Mold "Pasochnitsa"

For Eastern Christians, is the Feast of Feasts and the most celebrated Christian holiday. Traditionally, for this day, Russian Christians prepare a wonderful classic dish called "Sirnaja Pashka" -made with eggs and dairy products. These ingredients are the foods the faithful abstained from during the Great Fast before Pascha. The ingredients are placed into a specially made "pasochnitsa," a mold consisting of four planks joined into a trapezoidal shape and dressed with a Cross and carved patterns. This contemporay plastic mold is from Russia. There are as many recipes for Sirnaja Pashka as there are chefs. The recipe included with the mold is from an old St Petersburg family. Tall: 5 1/4" Width: 6" Sirnaja Pashka CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! There are as many recipes for this favorite Russian “Pascha” delicacy as there are chefs.This treasured recipe comes from an old St Petersburg kitchen.Enjoy! Ingredients: 3 lbs cottage cheese or Farmer’s cheese 2 lbs cream cheese 1 ½ cups of sugar 6 egg yokes 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup whipping cream Mixed candied fruits (optional) Need for Preparation: Cheesecloth Pashka mold 24 hours before preparation: Line Pashka mold with moistened cheese cloth.Spoon in cottage cheese.Place a small bowel under opening in the mold and allow draining. To Prepare: In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat sugar, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.Add cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla and beaten until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.Reduce speed to low gradually add the whipped cream and beat until mixed.Optional spoon in candied fruits. Spoon cheese mixture into prepared mold:foil ends of cheesecloth over top of cheese.Place mold on rack in a pan large enough to catch excess moisture.Place 1 or 2 heavy can on top of the folded cheese cloth.Let the mixture drain for 24 hours and refrigerate. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.