Tasting and looking like a cold cheesecake, the Pascha Wielkanocna is a traditional Polish dish made for Easter. This nutty and dry fruit-filled dessert symbolizes Christ’s resurrection and is delicious too!
What Is Polish Easter Pasha? What Is Pascha Wielkanocna?
Looking like a cheesecake, but not baked, the Polish Easter pasha is made with split milk, eggs, and sour cream. Milk, eggs, and cheese are a symbol of rebirth.
Not inherently Polish, this Easter dish originated in Russia and is popular in the Eastern borderlands close to Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus.
The original Russian dish is often made in the shape of a truncated pyramid to symbolize Christ’s tomb and His triumph over it. The dish is named Pascha because the word means Easter Sunday in Orthodox Christianity.
But the Polish version can be pyramid-shaped or round. Nowadays, you can find the Easter Pascha eaten all through the year.
These Polish delicacies are decorated with almonds, dried fruit, chocolate, or fruit purees.
How To Make Polish Easter Pasha Recipe [Pascha Wielkanocna]
Step I – Prepare The Pasha Mixture
Start by boiling milk in a large pot and adding vanilla seeds to it. In another dish, whisk some eggs with sour cream. Add this mixture to the boiling milk while stirring continuously.​
Allow the mix to simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes till the milk splits. Strain the mixture and allow it to cool before squeezing out the excess moisture.
Step II – Add Nuts And Cheese
Beat the butter with icing sugar and cheese before adding it to the strained mixture. Also, add nuts and dried fruits.
Pour it into a bowl lined with gauze and press down. Refrigerate overnight or for at least a few hours.
Once the pasha is cold, turn it over and unmould. Decorate with more dried fruits and nuts before serving!
Tips For Making Polish Easter Pasha Recipe
- Do not stop stirring while adding the sour cream and egg mixture to the milk!
- You can replace the vanilla with crushed cardamon or anise.
- Squeeze the pasha mixture so that it’s dried properly before adding the sugar and cheese. It needs to be very dry or it will fall apart!
- Add any nuts or dried fruits of your choice!
- You can also add marmalade or fruit preserve to the Easter Pasha!
- You can also make a chocolate Pascha!
- If you want it to look like spring, decorate with edible sugar-paste flowers.
- If you’re in too much of a hurry, use farmer’s cheese and start at step 8. It will not taste the same, but almost as good!
- Always serve Pascha Wielkanocna cold!
FAQs About Pascha Wielkanocna
What Else Can I Add To The Pascha Wielkanocna?
You can add any dried fruits or nuts of your choice to the pascha wielkanocna. Some options are:
- Candied cherries
- Candied lemon or orange peel
- other
- Chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
- Figs
- Dates
- Raisins
- Dried Apricots
- Fruit preserve or marmalade
Do I Need To Soak The Dried Fruit Before Adding To The Pascha?
No, it’s not necessary to soak the dry fruits. Add them directly to the pascha dessert mixture.
How Long To Store Easter Pascha?
Easter Pascha can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or at room temperature for 2 to 3 days in cold weather.
What Other Polish Dishes Can I Make For Easter?
Other Polish dishes that can be made for Easter include:
- Royal Mazurek Krowleski Cake
- Biala Kielbasa
- Zurek
- Murzin Bread
- Mazurek
- Babka
- Deviled Eggs
- Chlebiczek bread with dry fruits
Polish Easter Pasha Recipe [Pascha Wielkanocna]
Polish Easter Pasha Recipe (Pascha Wielkanocna)
Looking like cheesecake, the delicious Pascha Wielkanocna is a nutty and dry fruit-filled Easter dessert symbolizing Christ's resurrection!
Ingredients
- 8 cups of milk
- 2 cups (480g) of sour cream
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup of icing sugar
- 2 vanilla beans
- 2 sticks of butter (220g)
- 5 oz (140g) of dried fruits and nuts
Instructions
- In a big pot, bring milk to boil.
- Using a knife, split vanilla beans in half lengthways. Scrape out the seeds onto the milk.
- In a separate dish whisk eggs with sour cream.
- When the milk is boiling, pour the egg-sour cream mixture into it, stirring all the time.
- Reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes until the mixture will divide into cheese and water. Stir from time to time.
- Pour the mixture into the strainer lined with gauze.
- Allow to cool, then squeeze out, making sure the cheese inside the gauze is completely dry.
- Beat butter with icing sugar.
- Add the cheese and beat again.
- Using a spoon, add dried fruits and nuts to the mixture.
- Line a small bowl (35oz/1 liter) with gauze.
- Pour the mixture onto the bowl and press using a spoon.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- When pascha is cold, place the bowl upside down. Remove the gauze.
- Decorate with dried fruits and nuts.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 8g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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