Chef Lesia
Gombovtsi (ґомбовці, plum-stuffed steamed dumplings)
The first cut is the whole argument: pale potato dough, toasted butter crumbs, then a hot purple plum collapsing into syrup at the center.
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Syrna Paska (сирна паска, no-bake curd Easter dessert)
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This is the paska that never sees the oven: white curd pressed overnight until it holds a clean pyramid, rich with butter, cream, raisins, peel, and Easter patience.
Desserts
Ukrainian
Easter
Make Ahead
Special Occasion
30 min
Active Time
10 min cook•24 hr 40 min total
Yield1 pressed paska, 10 to 12 servings
The most beautiful thing about syrna paska is the weight. You pack soft sweet curd into a cloth-lined mould, set a plate and something heavy on top, and by morning the dessert has given up its whey and learned to stand on its own. Cold, pale, cut with orange peel and raisins, it lands on the Easter table like a small white church tower you can eat.
This is not the baked paska bread, though it shares the Easter basket with it. Syrna means made from curd cheese, and the whole dish depends on that curd being dry enough, rich enough, and not sour in a mean way. Aunt Nadia once wrote only, "press until it behaves," which was no help at all until I understood: the pressing is not decoration. It concentrates the dairy, firms the slice, and lets the butter and cream become one soft body instead of a sweet cheese salad.
Use good tvorog or farmer's cheese if you can find it. If yours is wet, drain it first and don't make a tragedy of it. The mould can be a proper wooden paskivnyk, a plastic one, a flowerpot lined with muslin, or a sieve set over a bowl. The table will still know what you meant.
Syrna paska belongs to the Ukrainian Easter basket, where dairy, eggs, butter, and sweet curd mark the end of the long Lenten fast. The traditional truncated pyramid mould, paskivnyk, is often carved or pressed with the letters XB for Khrystos Voskres, "Christ is risen," and with crosses or wheat motifs. Regional versions vary by household: some add cooked egg custard for richness, some keep it uncooked, and western Ukrainian tables often serve it beside tall baked paska and bright krashanky, dyed Easter eggs.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
dry curd cheese, tvorog, farmer's cheese, or well-drained full-fat cottage cheese
Quantity
900g
unsalted butter
Quantity
120g
softened
caster sugar
Quantity
120g
egg yolks
Quantity
3 large
double cream or heavy cream
Quantity
150ml
smetana or full-fat sour cream
Quantity
120g
vanilla extract
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
unwaxed lemon
Quantity
1
zested
orange
Quantity
1
zested
raisins or golden raisins
Quantity
90g
candied orange peel
Quantity
50g
finely chopped
toasted almonds or walnuts
Quantity
50g
finely chopped
rum, brandy, or strong black tea (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
for soaking raisins
extra candied peel and toasted nuts (optional)
Quantity
to finish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| dry curd cheese, tvorog, farmer's cheese, or well-drained full-fat cottage cheese | 900g |
| unsalted buttersoftened | 120g |
| caster sugar | 120g |
| egg yolks | 3 large |
| double cream or heavy cream | 150ml |
| smetana or full-fat sour cream | 120g |
| vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| unwaxed lemonzested | 1 |
| orangezested | 1 |
| raisins or golden raisins | 90g |
| candied orange peelfinely chopped | 50g |
| toasted almonds or walnutsfinely chopped | 50g |
| rum, brandy, or strong black tea (optional)for soaking raisins | 2 tablespoons |
| extra candied peel and toasted nuts (optional) | to finish |
Equipment Needed
- •A paskivnyk pyramid mould, perforated ricotta basket, sieve, or clean flowerpot
- •Muslin or clean cheesecloth
- •A small saucepan and whisk
- •A sieve or blender for smoothing the curd
- •A plate and 500g to 1kg weight for pressing
Instructions
- 1
Drain the curd
If your curd cheese feels damp, pile it into muslin, set it in a sieve over a bowl, and leave it in the fridge until it stops weeping. Dry curd is what lets the paska stand cleanly after pressing. If you start with wet cheese, you will get a soft slump, still delicious, but not the proud Easter shape.
Well-drained full-fat cottage cheese works if you press it first and blend it smooth. A bit more modern, and it gets supper on the table. - 2
Soak the raisins
Put the raisins in a small bowl with rum, brandy, or strong black tea and let them swell while you prepare the dairy. They should look plump, not swimming. Drain off any spare liquid before adding them, because the paska has already worked hard to lose its whey.
- 3
Smooth the cheese
Push the curd through a sieve or blend it briefly until it is smooth and fine, with no hard little grains under the spoon. This is the fussy step, and it earns its keep. Grainy curd stays grainy after pressing; smooth curd sets like cold cream you can slice.
- 4
Cook the custard
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cream, smetana, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Warm it gently, stirring all the time, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon. Do not let it boil. Pull it off when the smell changes from raw egg to sweet cream and vanilla.
This cooked yolk base is my modern safety line. Older recipes often use raw yolks, but Easter tables include children, grandparents, and tired cooks, so I cook the custard and sleep better. - 5
Beat in butter
Beat the softened butter into the warm custard until it disappears and the mixture looks glossy. Let it cool until it is no longer hot to the touch, then fold it into the smooth curd. Add the lemon zest and orange zest. Taste now: it should be sweet, creamy, and just bright enough from the citrus.
- 6
Fold the fruit
Fold in the drained raisins, candied peel, and toasted nuts. Use a broad spoon and turn the mixture gently so the fruit stays scattered through the curd rather than sinking in one lump. It should look generous, not crowded.
- 7
Pack the mould
Line a paskivnyk, clean flowerpot, or sieve with damp muslin, leaving enough cloth hanging over the edges to cover the top. Spoon in the curd mixture and press it into the corners so there are no empty pockets. Fold the cloth over, set the mould over a bowl, and put a small plate with a weight on top.
- 8
Press overnight
Leave the paska in the fridge for 24 hours, emptying the whey from the bowl if it collects. By the next day the cloth should feel damp, the curd should feel firm under your fingers, and the shape should hold when you lift the mould. That is when it behaves.
- 9
Unmould and serve
Unfold the cloth, turn the paska onto a serving plate, and lift the mould away slowly. Peel back the muslin. Finish with a little candied peel and toasted nuts, then serve cold in thick slices with Easter bread, dyed eggs, and tea strong enough to stand beside all that butter.
Chef Tips
- •The curd is the dish. Choose dry, full-fat tvorog or farmer's cheese with a clean dairy tang, not watery cottage cheese straight from the tub.
- •The pressing step does not forgive impatience. The fruit, nuts, and citrus can bend to what you have, but the curd must drain and the finished paska must sit under weight.
- •No paskivnyk is no problem. A small new flowerpot with drainage holes, a sieve, or a perforated ricotta basket lined with muslin will do the same work.
- •Keep the sweetness gentle. Syrna paska should taste of dairy first, then citrus and fruit, not like icing.
- •Store leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within 3 days. It is rich, so cut smaller slices than pride suggests.
Advance Preparation
- •If the curd is damp, drain it overnight before you begin.
- •The assembled paska needs 24 hours under weight in the fridge before unmoulding.
- •It can be made 1 to 2 days before Easter and kept chilled until serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 145g)
Calories
425 calories
Total Fat
29 g
Saturated Fat
16 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
120 mg
Sodium
220 mg
Total Carbohydrates
26 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
23 g
Protein
16 g
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