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 Russian syrnaya paskha is made with творог or farmer's cheese and isn't quite as creamy or spreadable.)



Syrnaya Paskha

Ingredients
2 pounds (4 8-ounce packages) of cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
1/2 cup of whipping cream
3 egg yolks (boiled and sieved)
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Juice and zest of a lemon
Almonds, pecans, or golden raisins (to decorate)

Directions
1) Lord, bless!
2) Leave the cream cheese and butter out for a while to allow them to soften, then blend in a mixer (unless you have amazing arms!) until they are well integrated.
3) Add the remaining ingredients (excluding the decoratives, of course) and mix thoroughly.
4) Place in a container to be blessed with the other foods in your Pascha basket, slather slices of your kulich, and enjoy!