Two and a half years after publishing my recipe for baked paskha (one of my first blog entries!), I finally posted my kulich last week. So you can now prepare the two traditional Russian desserts for Orthodox Easter — or any other day you feel like having them, of course.
To tie it all together, I’d recommend using smaller kulich molds, skipping the honey on the paskha, and serving both with the rum-raisin crème anglaise from my kulich post. Finally, below are my recipes for a few kinds of jellies that echo the flavors found in the kulich: orange, cranberry, and rum. Cut the jellies into 1/2″ cubes, and use them to decorate the plates.
Cranberry jelly
Yields over 16 servings
8 oz cranberry juice
0.35 oz powdered pectin
6 oz sugar
- In a small saucepan, bring the juice to a bare simmer, and transfer to a blender.
- While mixing the juice on low speed, pour in the pectin and blend until homogeneous.
- Return to the saucepan over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar progressively, bring back to a boil, and boil for 1 minute.
- Pass through a chinois into an 4″ x 8″ dish lined with plastic wrap. Skim any impurities from the surface with a spoon. Cover with more plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Orange jelly
Yields over 16 servings
7 oz orange juice
0.35 oz powdered pectin
6 oz sugar
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- Follow the instructions for the cranberry jelly, replacing the cranberry juice with orange juice, and stir in the lemon juice just before removing the mixture from the heat.
Dark rum jelly
Yields over 16 servings
4 oz dark rum
3 oz water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
0.35 oz powdered pectin
3 oz dark brown sugar
3 oz sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
- Combine the rum, water, and vanilla extract, and follow the instructions for the orange jelly, replacing the orange juice with the rum mixture.
