Another integral aspect of Easter celebrations in Russia
is the family Easter dinner following the worship services. The Easter dinner is
a sumptuous feast, in which the entire congregation celebrates together. Among
other delicacies, Russian people traditionally bake Easter cakes, known as
Kulich [in Russian кулич meaning "Easter cake"]
The Kulich preparation starts
several days before Easter. Kulich can contain candied fruit, almonds, and
raisins, and is prepared like bread. When it is done, it is decorated with white
frosting drizzled down the sides. On the side, spelled out in pieces of candied
fruit, are the letters XB, representing the Cyrillic letters for "Christos
voskres" or "Christ is risen."
A simple recipe for Kulich
1 cup of
milk
1 cup of sour-cream
1 cup of eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 ounces of
yeast
1 cup raisins
Flour - as much as it takes to make thick elastic
dough
Optional - (lemon peel, blanched almonds, candied fruits, dark rum,1
tsp.vanilla)
Mix all the ingredients well in a large bowl. Fill as many
coffee can type forms with greased sides as you want to have cakes, but make
them only a third full to allow for expansion. Let the third full coffee cans
sit for 45 minuets in warm area covered with clean cloth. Then bake up to an
hour at around 300 - 350 degrees or about until golden brown and a test knife or
toothpick comes out clean not wet.Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. cold water
2
tsp. lemon juice
Mix well in bowl and dribble down the top and sides of
the cooled cake or pie after removal from coffee can container.
