Tsar-style custard paskha
Tsar-style paskha takes time, though most of it is waiting rather than active preparation. I usually put this Easter farmer cheese dessert in its mold on Friday evening and unmold and decorate it on Saturday. It is wonderfully tender and gently sweet. I add plenty of raisins and candied fruit because my family likes a rich paskha.
The texture depends on the farmer cheese. Choose a soft, slightly tangy variety with at least 5% fat, preferably 9%.
Rub the farmer cheese through a sieve, punch it with a blender or pass through a meat grinder with a fine grid. I use a meat grinder. First of all, faster. Secondly, the farmer cheese mass is very homogeneous, without inclusions.
Separate the yolks from the whites. Melt the butter and cool slightly. Add sour cream, butter, yolks, sugar, salt and vanillin to the farmer cheese mass. Beat with a mixer until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the first bubbles appear. Do not leave it unattended: it can stick or separate. The aim is to heat it evenly.
During heating, the mass will become liquid. That's how it should be. As soon as the first bubbles begin to appear, remove the pan from the heat and cool (do not forget to stir). To speed up the process, you can put it in cold water.
A mixture of raisins and candied fruits (today I have pineapple cubes and dried cranberries)
add to the farmer cheese mass. Mix.
Refrigerate the mixture for an hour and a half to thicken. If you pour it straight into the molds, too much liquid will drain away and the paskha will be drier.
Line the paskha mold with several layers of damp cheesecloth. I use an enamel colander and a cake mold with drainage holes.
Pour the farmer cheese mixture into molds. Cover the top with the ends of the gauze. And we put a small load. A half-liter jar of water will be enough. And put it in the refrigerator.
After a day, uncover the cheesecloth, place a plate over the mold and invert. Gently remove the remaining cloth.
Decorate the paskha as you like, with sugar decorations, little chocolate eggs or the simple chocolate glaze I usually make.
Gently heat the chocolate pieces, condensed milk, milk and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring without boiling. Once smooth and melted, pour over the unmolded paskha.