Makes about 18 servings
Every Easter for twenty-five years I’ve made pashka, tweaking it, modifying it, improving it. No matter the version, it is always the favorite dish on a table laden with delicacies. This is my favorite rendition, for its creamy texture is laced with orange and vanilla, slightly crunchy with almonds. I always serve freshly baked kugelhopf with pashka—a
sublime combination. Any good, fresh, slightly sweet bread is perfect for spreading with pashka, though it is also delicious on its own. I serve pashka as a breakfast/brunch dish and occasionally serve it as a dessert too.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds (1.5 kg) whole-milk yogurt
- 1 pound (450 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) vanilla sugar (Chapter Breakfast)
- 3 large egg yolks
- Zest of 1 large orange, preferably organic, minced
- 5 ounces (140 g) almonds, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces (250 g) dried apricots, preferably unsulfured
- Edible flowers for optional garnish
PREPARATION
- Line a fine-mesh sieve with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Line an 8-cup (2-liter) terra-cotta flowerpot or other mold that has drainage holes with two layers of cheesecloth, leaving the edges of the cheesecloth hanging over the sides of the mold.
- Place the yogurt in the lined sieve and let it drain in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours. Discard the liquid and reserve the yogurt.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the butter until it is soft and pale yellow. Whisk in the sugar until the mixture is light and pale yellow. Gradually whisk in the drained yogurt and continue whisking until it is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Whisk in the egg yolks and orange zest until combined thoroughly. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the almonds and the dried apricots so they are evenly dispersed throughout the mixture.
- Turn the pashka into the prepared mold, then fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the mixture. Set the mold in a shallow dish. Place a plate that is just slightly smaller than the circumference of the mold atop the mold and weight it with a 2-pound (1-kg) can of fruit or vegetables or any 2-pound (1-kg) weight. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
- To serve the pashka, remove it from the shallow dish, discarding any liquid that has drained from it. Remove the weight and plate and place an attractive serving dish or platter over the mold. Flip the mold so the pashka falls gently onto the serving dish. Remove the cheesecloth and garnish with the flowers, if desired. Serve chilled.
Note: You may substitute any high-quality dried fruits for the apricots. I recommend unsulfured fruits, which haven’t been treated to retain their color. Molding the pashka in a flowerpot is traditional, but you can use any shape of mold you like. I like to garnish pashka with spring flowers—pansies, tiny little daisies, even dandelion petals.
