"Honey Pasha"

This is a classic russian Easter dessert. It's usually made with sugar but I went with more natural sweetener, honey.

Ingredients:

• 500g curd (fat content 9-11%)
• 125g butter, softened
• 125g sourcream
• 175g honey
• handful of raisins
• handful of almonds
• zest of 1 lemon 

Method:

1. Combine the curd and the butter. Mix well.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Combine sourcream, raisins, almonds and lemon zest.
   
   
   
   
3. Combine sourcream mixture with curd and butter mixture.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Put the mixture into the wooden pasha mold or if you don't have it, take a large sieve, put it over a bowl so that the hooks of the sieve cling to the edge of the bowl and the sieve doesn't fall. Cover with cheesecloth and pour the pasha mixture in it. Cover with the cloth and put plates on. Put something heavy on it and keep in cool place for at least 12 hours.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. When ready to serve, turn the pasha over on a plate and decorate as you wish! Enjoy!

Review: It didn't taste any different from pasha made with sugar. Was creamy and delicate in flavor. Will definitely use some lemon and orange peel next time!

"Easter Egg Nest Cake"

I've been looking at this recipe for a while now... It's been SCREAMING my name ever since!
And because Easter is around the corner... of course I HAD to make it!

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 125g unsalted butter softened
• 6  eggs, 2 whole, 4 separated
• 175g white sugar, 75g for yolk mixture, 100g for whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping

• 125g dark chocolate, chopped (56% of cocoa or more)
• 250 ml whipping cream
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 packet of chocolate eggs 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Line the bottom of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the 250g chocolate with the butter in either a double boiler or a microwave and then set aside to cool slightly.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape and peak gleamingly - but not stiff.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Remove this bowl (if you're using a freestanding mixer, as I do, though a handheld job would do fine) and set aside while you whisk, in another bowl, the 2 whole eggs and 4 yolks with the 75g of sugar and the vanilla extract.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Lighten the mixture with some egg whites - just dollop a large spoonful in and stir briskly - and then fold in the rest of the whisked whites gently, in about three goes.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly on the surface.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack;  the middle will sink as it cools and the sides splinter.  You want this to look like a cake with a crater in it, so do not panic at the vision of imperfection in front of you.  That's one of the reasons this cake is so unstressful to make.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Melt the chocolate for the topping and leave it to cool a little.  Whip the cream until it is firming up and aerated but still soft, and then add the vanilla and fold in the melted chocolate.
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Fill the crater of the cake with the chocolatey cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake with a rubber spatula, and then arrange the little sugar Easter eggs on top.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Review: I was thinking of using 70% chocolate at first because of the fear that the cake will turn out too sweet. I decided to trust the author of the recipe and use 56% dark chocolate. The cake turned out actually VERY rich in flavor and not too sweet at all. The chocolate eggs on top were mint flavored and they accompanied the cake rather nicely. 
    
    One generous slice was enough to satisfy ANY kind of chocolate craving!
    
    Sidenote: I had to bake it more than 1 hour because it didn't want to cook through properly.