Syrnaya Paskha

This is my favorite Paschal recipe! As much as I enjoy kulich, kulich without syrnaya paskha ("cheesy pascha" in Russian) is just not that exciting. Like my kulich recipe, I've been making this so long that I've forgotten who I inherited this recipe from. (If it was you, dear reader, then remind me!) This makes plenty of syrnaya paskha - if you're not gifting any you might consider halving the recipe. This is an unabashedly americanized recipe and makes a sweet, creamy spread. Traditional Eastern European syrnaya paskha is made with творог or farmer's cheese and isn't quite as creamy or sweet (although I have cut the sugar if I'm remembering correctly).

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This is a variation on a theme - Sophia's cheesecake - that grew out of my extreme disappointment in a pumpkin dessert recipe I tried out a bit ago. (Trust me, this is way better than that was - I'm still surprised anyone I served them to ate them!) I've since done two or three experimental batches, and I think this is the final version of this recipe. If it's not, however, I'll be sure to post any future adjustments I make!