A Paleo Strawberry Coconut Trifle

It is a little late for this Easter, but I wanted to share this with you anyway.  It would be a great dessert for many feast days, including Valentine's Day or Pentecost.  Add some blueberries and it would be a fun dessert for Divine Mercy Sunday as well!

In our family we have people with gluten intolerance and one poor little muffin who is lactose intolerant.  So I generally have to get a bit creative with our holiday treats. 

All I could think about was the fact that I wanted to have that wonderful trifle here at Catholic Cuisine we have every year on Easter.  So I searched the net, but nothing looked very good (well to me, that is, I was being picky).  Then I found, on Pinterest, a link on how to make whip cream from canned coconut milk.  With that and a gluten free cake mix from Pamela's I knew I had it!

A Paleo Strawberry Coconut Trifle

• 1 package Pamela's Vanilla Cake Mix
• 3-4 pounds strawberries (you can do less, but we went for it)
• 1/2 to 1 cup almond or coconut milk
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice  (you could use agave or another sweetener I am sure to your taste)
• 2 cans Native Forest unsweetened FULL FAT coconut milk

Bake the cake according to directions.  Do this the night before and let it cool completely.  I had to hide mine on top of the fridge.  In the morning cut up into 1 inch cubes.  Poor the almond or coconut milk over the cubed cake till it is moist but not soaked.  Cut the strawberries and sprinkle with coconut and sweetener, mix.  Make the coconut whipped cream.  Follow these directions.  They work and it is AMAZING.  I didn't have enough whipped cream for the top because one of my cans got shook up, which was a huge disappointment.  So we only had one layer of the coconut whipped cream instead of two.  I ended up drizzling the other can a little over everyone's servings instead.

On the bottom of your trifle or glass bowl, put half the cake.  Put half the strawberry mixture on top of that, then half of the 2 cans worth of whipped coconut cream.  Repeat.  On top place a decorative strawberry and some toasted coconut.

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Basic Paska for Easter

After reading a Ukrainian folktale to my girls this morning, we got busy baking our Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday, Easter Doves, and Paska!  Jennifer recently posted her beautiful Paska recipe, but since I didn't have all the ingredients necessary, and I wasn't going to be able to make it back to the grocery store, I decided to adapt "Mary Urim's Paska" recipe from Romancing the Stove incorporating some of the decorating tips from Ukrainian Classic Kitchen.  I just love how pretty the Paska turned out, and it smells heavenly!

Basic Paska

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 4 eggs, beaten and separated
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 9 1/2 – 10 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, scald the milk. Add the sugar, stirring with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool.

In another bowl, mix 3 eggs (saving one for the egg wash), butter, oil, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, and milk mixture, and whisk to combine.

Add 9 1/2 cups of flour to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Gradually add the egg/milk/yeast mixture while mixing. Mix the dough for 10 minutes. Adding up to 1 to 1 1/2 cups of additional flour. The dough should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and not stick. If it is sticking, gradually add more flour. (Note: My stand mixer was not quite large enough for this recipe so I ended up kneading the dough by hand. If needing by hand, knead well, letting the dough rest a couple times between kneading to let the gluten work. Continue kneading until the dough no longer sticks to hands.)

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with oil, turning to cover all sides of the dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1-2 hours).

After the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl, punch it down a little, and shape into loaves, reserving a little dough to create decorations. Place loaves into well oiled round baking dishes, filling only 1/3 full. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until once again doubled in bulk (about 30-45 minutes).

Note:  I had to be creative finding deep round baking dishes!  I ended up using an Oven-proof Batter Bowl, a white casserole we were given for our wedding, my new Round Covered Baker, and an old Pampered Chef Bread Crock! 

Meanwhile create decorations for the top of the paska.

Note: Adding decorations after the shaped Paska has risen prevents the decorations from rising unevenly.

To make a braided cross: Using 3 small pieces of dough, roll each piece into a rope, then braid the 3 pieces together. Repeat to make a second braid. Place one of the braids over the dough ball in the pan, tucking the sides under the ball. Place the second braid over the first in the form of a cross, again tucking the ends under the dough ball.

 

Additional decoration suggestions/designs can be found in Jen's post.

 

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Make egg wash - beat 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash. Bake for 45 minutes or until the bread is golden.

 Let cool in the pan.

Remove from pan, place on wire rack and cool completely.

NOTE:  This recipe will create 2-3 Paska, depending on pan size.  I used the leftover dough from our Easter Doves to create a 4th small Paska.  

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Easter Doves (Paska Dinner Rolls)

This morning I asked my girls to choose a book for us to read from our Lent and Easter Book Basket and they picked The Birds' Gift: A Ukrainian Easter Story.  This sweet book, unfortunately out of print at the moment, is a folktale describing the origin of pysanky.   After reading the story we were talking about other Ukrainian Easter traditions and decided to add Paska to our Easter menu this year.   We also learned that in earlier times in Ukraine "birds made from dough were baked representing the larks, who were migrating back to the north.   Today, these bread “doves” are seen made for Easter. "

I posted the recipe we used below, but you could also save some dough from your favorite paska recipe, or even make Dinner Roll Doves out of Rhodes Rolls!  Ours didn't turn out as well as I would have liked - you have to look at them just the right way to see that they are actually birds - but the children are looking forward to enjoying them with our Easter dinner!

 

Easter Doves (Paska Dinner Rolls)

Adapted from Ukrainian Classic Kitchen 

Ingredients: 

• 1 package dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups flour

Directions: 

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in lukewarm water. Let stand 10 minutes till yeast begins to work.

Beat eggs until foamy. Add the honey, oil, milk, and salt, and beat until well mixed. Add 2 cups of the flour and blend in well. Knead in by hand the 3 additional cups of flour or enough to make a workable dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. (I used my stand mixer with the dough hook.)  Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Shape doves; place on greased cookie sheet and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. (The doves will keep their shape best if they are not allowed to rise too long. They will rise some in the oven.) Just before baking, insert cloves or raisins (push in deeply to avoid burning or popping out) for eyes. Brush with an egg yolk wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake at 350˚ F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

HOW TO SHAPE DOVES

Doves may be shaped in two ways:

1. Roll out the dough into snakes about the thickness of a finger; cut into 4 inch sections. Place one strip horizontally on your work surface; lay another strip on top like a cross. Pull the arms of the strip beneath up and cross to the opposite side) left side becomes right, right side becomes left); flatten and shape slightly as for wings. Shape one end of the straight strip of dough like a head (pinch for a beak); flatten the other end and make three or four slits for tail feathers.

 

 

2.  Roll out the dough into snakes about the thickness of a finger. Cut in strips 5-6 inches long, tie each in a knot. Shape one end like a head (pinch to form beak); flatten other end to make three or four slits to form tail feathers, spreading them apart a bit.

NOTE:  I only used some of the dough to bake a couple batches of the Easter Doves.  I used the remaining dough to make an extra loaf of Paska! 

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Pascha: Easter Sweet Cheese Spread, Updated

In 2009 I posted about Festive Easter Breads and Cheese. My cookbooks are full of margin notes, so I thought I would update my notes on the recipes. This is crossposted with my food blog, Family Food in Feast and Feria.

We enjoy spreading Pascha, the Easter Sweet Cheese Mold on the Paska, just like in one of our favorite children's books, Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco. At first I was a bit confused, as the name for the dessert cheese is Pascha (or Pashka), very close to the Ukrainian name for the bread. And “Pascha” is the Orthodox name for Easter. Once I got the names sorted out, I was convinced I had to try the cheese. I didn’t have an “official” mold, so used the clean clay unglazed flowerpot. Be sure to make ahead (the recipe says 2-3 days. Wednesday or Holy Thursday is probably the latest). I omit the candied fruit and the almonds, as I want a smoother, creamier texture. My husband always requests this so I have been working on improving this every year.

The recipe I use is from A Continual Feast: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Joys of Family and Faith Throughout the Christian Year by Evelyn Vitz. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her and some of her daughters (and even go on retreat with her and her daughter in law this month!). But I digress…

This is an absolutely beautiful and delicious dish; versions are prepared in Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, and Latvia. It is made in a tall mold (or flower pot), then turned out onto a large platter and decorated. Cool and rich, it tastes like a cross between ice cream and cheesecake. It goes wonderfully with other the sweet Easter breads, such as Kulich, or Paska Or Easter Sweet Bread or with various Easter cakes.

There was some discussion of the "farmer cheese" from the previous post. This is a more difficult ingredient to find. My grocery store carries this, the brand is "Friendship", but you can try ethnic grocery stores. Some people have had success with Mexican queso fresco. It is NOT an aged hard cheese, but a soft and crumbly, almost like ricotta, or a softer version of feta. It is usually found near the yogurt, cottage cheese and/or sour cream, but not in the cheese section. 

If you cannot find farmer's cheese and need to use large curd cottage cheese or ricotta, rinse the cheese with cold water and drain well in a fine colander. Ricotta might need to just be drained. Then take a fine mesh strainer and press the cheese through to make it finely sieved and ready to mix. 

I’ve had trouble over the years having the mixture drain well so it becomes firm. Last year was my most successful year. The flowerpot that works well for me is an 8″ clay flowerpot. But I have found the shorter and wide flowerpot drained better than the tall pot. The picture below shows the two 8″ pots, but the one on the left is the one I use for both the bread Paska and the cheese spread. These are just clay pots made in Italy that I found in my local gardening store. I cleaned well before using.

After covering with cheesecloth, I place a small plate on top, then used a weight (literally, one or two of my husband’s free weights) and then put the pot in a large bowl. Last year the bowl was shaped that the pot was suspended above a few inches, instead of flat on the bottom. This allows more draining.
For decorating I just keep it simple. And face it — no matter how beautiful the presentation, after one small serving it never looks "pretty" again. But that doesn't matter, because it is super delicious and everyone will keep coming back for more.

Pascha
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 pounds farmer cheese (see comments)
1/2 pound sweet butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fruit: raisins and/ or dried currants, mixed candied fruit peel (I omit)
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped (I omit)
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange or lemon rind (I use both, enough zest from one orange and 1 lemon)
For decorating:
Candied fruit peel, maraschino cherries, or nuts
Fresh strawberries to place around the base and on top

Beat the egg and the yolks until thick and lemon-colored. (NOTE: Using a stand mixer, this is about 5 minutes.) Gradually add the sugar, and beat until the mixture is thick and creamy. Pour into a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of the cream. Heat over medium-low heat, beating constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and continue beating until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm.

(NOTE: I use a wire whisk to beat while heating. I have a gas stove, and using fresh cream from the farmer the mixture is already very thick. On the heat this takes about 10-15 minutes. You will know it's getting thicker when you see the sugar dissolving. At the beginning it's very grainy. After removing from the heat I either put back in the stand mixer and just beat until cooled to lukewarm, or keep in saucepan and stir with the whisk. I don't do it constantly, but very regularly, while I'm beating the other ingredients.)
In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, butter, the other 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla. Cream until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg mixture, then the fruits, almonds, and orange or lemon rind. Blend thoroughly. (NOTE: At this point the mixture is very soupy.)

Line a flower pot or Pascha mold with 2 thicknesses of cheesecloth. Place the pot over a bowl (to catch liquid), and pour the Pascha mixture into the pot. Put a layer or two of cheesecloth over the top, set a plate on it and something heavy on the plate. (The purpose is to press the extra liquid out of the Pascha and into the bowl below.) (NOTE: After pouring into the mold, I put a plate and then weight it down. I gradually add more weights, my husband's free weights, after the mixture has chilled longer. Try to place a plate that covers the whole top. There will be oozing over. Do not panic.) Chill overnight or for a day or two.

Remove the top cheesecloth. Unmold the Pascha onto a large platter, and remove the rest of the cheesecloth.

Decorate the Pascha with the candied fruit peel or maraschino cherries or nuts to form the letters XB or CR (Christ is risen) on one side, and on the other side a cross. You may use the Western cross form or the Orthodox cross, or any other cross design that you prefer. In Russia, Pascha is often decorated with an angel and a lily, as well as the cross.
Around the base and on top of the Pascha, place fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.
Yield: 14 to 16 servings

The best part after making these goodies, was arranging the Easter basket for a blessing at our parish by the pastor. I included our Easter eggs, pysanky, ham, wine, butter lamb, paska and pashka. This year I bought a simple Easter basket cloth made by some Catholic ladies in Johnstown, PA, which I can't wait to use.
A blessing on the Paschal feast, and your celebration!

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Paska: Ukrainian Easter Bread, Updated

In 2009 I posted about Festive Easter Breads and Cheese. My cookbooks are full of margin notes regarding these recipes, so I thought I would update and share my notes. Crossposted with my food blog, Family Food in Feast and Feria.

For the Ukrainian Easter Bread, Paska, I now adapt a recipe from Celebration Breads: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions by Betsy Oppenneer. I highly recommend this cookbook– it is very detailed instructions and diagrams.

I find one of the most difficult aspects of baking ethnic recipes is finding the right tools. This is an example — “Paska molds are somewhere between the height of a souffle dish and a 3-pound coffee can.” So this recipe uses either two 3-pound coffee cans or two 8-inch souffle dishes. I have neither on hand, and always forget this until it’s too late. So I’ve made due either with a Pyrex or Corning Ware casserole dish that is 8 inches across, or a wider mouthed (clean) flower pot that is also 8 inches across. (More on the flowerpot in my Pascha update post.)

The details on the recipes are two pages long, but basically you can compare the previous recipe for Paska.

Here’s my adapted ingredient list:

Paska, Ukrainian Easter Bread

Ingredients
For the Dough:
1 scant Tablespoon or 1 (1/4 ounce) package of active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/2 cup warm milk (about 100 degrees F)
8 large egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2-3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange peel, zested
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon brandy or rum
4 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 cup golden raisins (soaked in brandy or rum)

For the Molds:
Butter
1 cup dried bread crumbs (I use flour)

For the Topping:
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon cold water

Using a mixer: Sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften in the mixer bowl. Add the milk, yolks, butter, sugar, zest, vanilla, salt, brandy and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on medium-low for 2 minutes, adding the flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides. Change to the dough hook and and continue kneading on medium low, adding a tablespoon at a time.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and coat the ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (This is one of my frustrations with my kitchen. This always takes longer for me, almost double the amount of time. I’m hoping my “proof” setting in my new oven will change this.)

Meanwhile, heavily grease the pans, and if desired sprinkle the sides and bottoms with bread crumbs. (If skipping the bread crumbs, do flour the pan.)

On an oiled surface, turn out the dough and set aside about one-fourth (1/4) of the dough and cover it. Divide the remaining dough and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place the dough in the prepared molds. Divide the remaining piece of dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each one into a short dough equal to the diameter of the molds. Snip the ends of each rope about 1 inch. Lay 2 ropes at right angles to each other (the shape of a cross) on each loaf and curl the ends outward.

The decorations on top of the loaf are very individual, and can be ornate. These hints from Ukrainian Easter by Mary Ann Woloch Vaughn are extremely helpful. One year I made a simple cross and made an Alpha and Omega on either side of the cross, reminiscent of the Paschal Candle decorations. (Graphics from Ukrainian Classic Kitchen: )

Cover allow a second rise for about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. with 10 minutes remaining. Right before baking beat the egg with the cold water and brush over the top of each loaf.

Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperate of the bread is 190 degrees F. Remove the bread from the pans  immediately let cool on a rack.

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Easter Sweet Bread

While preparing my plans for Holy Week, I realized I had taken multiple pictures last year of my Easter Bread and then didn't post anything! This is cross-posted with my food blog, Family Food in Feast and Feria.

My husband requests annually a Paska Cheese Mold. To accompany the sweet cheese spread I made Easter Sweet Bread from Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger. Although published originally in 1949, this recipe is foolproof and delicious!

Easter Sweet Bread

2 cakes yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup scalded and cooled milk
7 cups sifted flour
Melted butter
Sugar
Raisins
Cinnamon
Nuts
1 beaten egg
Milk
Confectioners' sugar icing

Dissolve yeast and one tablespoon sugar in water.

Cream butter, one-half cup sugar. Add eggs. Stir in yeast mixture and salt. Alternate milk and flour until the dough is moderately soft.Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.

Roll out in oblong strip one-fourth inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nuts. Roll up length-wise.

Place in circle on greased cookie sheet. Cut three-fourths inch slices almost through roll with scissors. Turn each slice partly on its side — pointing away from the center. Cover and let the bread rise again until double in bulk.

Brush on beaten egg diluted with milk. Bake in moderate oven (350º) for 30 minutes. While still hot, frost with confectioners' sugar icing and sprinkle with nuts.

This makes a large amount of dough. Kneading is very therapeutic.

Letting the dough rise has been my difficulty over the years. My kitchen is drafty. But I have a new oven with a "proof" setting. We'll see if that improves the rise. Usually I have to allow double the usual rising time.

 

I get sad when I bake breads or other wheat containing foods, because my oldest can't help without having an allergic reaction. I usually have to mix when he's in bed, because the airborne flour makes him miserable.

But my youngest son has no allergies, so he's excited and willing to help. As long as it's not too messy for him. He doesn't like sticky hands.

Rolling out the dough. I should have measured, but I think this is around 22" x 36".

 

Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, raisins and chopped nuts. Roll and pinch closed. Then join in a ring.

Place the ring on greased cookie sheet. Cut three-fourths inch slices almost through roll with scissors. Turn each slice partly on its side — pointing away from the center. Cover and let the bread rise again until double in bulk.

This sounds complicated, but really not that difficult, and it looks beautiful!

Brush on beaten egg diluted with milk. Bake in moderate oven (350º) for 30 minutes.

While still hot, frost with confectioners' sugar icing and sprinkle with nuts. Delicious! the photos don't do it justice.

Serve warmed or room temperature for Easter breakfast slathered with Paska or sweet butter and Easter hardboiled eggs.

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