Oma's Pashka submitted by Brent Alderman Sterste

The writer's father's family is Latvian and this guide make a sweet Easter cheese called Pashka, the writer's aunt presses hers in a sterilized flower pot with canned goods on top.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. Farmers cheese (biezpiens), store-bought or home-made
• 1 lb. Unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 Egg yolks, hard-boiled
• 4 Egg yolks, raw (optional, but traditional)
• 2 1/2 c Sugar
• 1-2 Tbls Pure vanilla extract
• Dried fruit, (optional) e.g. currants, pineapple, glace fruits

Recipe

• Put boiled egg yolks and farmers cheese through a grinder or sieve.
• Combine butter with sugar, raw yolks, and vanilla. Beat well.
• Add butter mixture to cheese. Mix well.
• If adding fruits, stir in.
• Press cheese in double layer of cheese cloth. This can be done either by tying the ends of the cheese cloth and placing it under a weight such as a heavy can, or by placing cheese in a sterilized flower pot, topping with a small saucer, and pressing under a weight. If available, one can also use a cheese mold and press, with fairly light pressure.
• Press in refrigerator for 24 hours. Un-mold and slice to serve.