Instructions: Place cheese in fine sieve and let drain overnight in refrigerator. Pass drained cheese through coarse sieve. Cream egg yolks, butter, sugar and scraped vanilla bean. Combine with cheese and sour cream.

Place in cheesecloth-lined 7-inch clay flowerpot or cheesecloth-lined paskha mold. Cover top of cheese mixture with paper plate and weight it with brick. Let it drain 24 to 36 hours in refrigerator.

Unmold Paskha on plate and decorate with almonds, cherries and lemons. Serve with Kulich (see recipe).

This recipe yields 16 to 18 servings.

Comments: A paskha mold is a 4-sided pyramid with an opening at the small end. A flowerpot is the usual substitute, but be sure it has a drainage hole in the bottom. Paskha needs a whole-milk small-curd cheese and is best made with farmer cheese, available at specialty markets; Nick Coe considers Polly-O ricotta an acceptable substitute. Some cooks mix almonds, glace fruit, raisins and the like into the cheese.

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