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1. Drain the pot cheese of all its moisture by setting it in a colander, covering it with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel, and weighting it down with a heavy pot or a small, heavy board. Let the cheese drain for 2 or 3 hours.
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2. Meanwhile, combine the candied fruits and the vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl, stir together thoroughly and let the mixture rest for 1 hour. With the back of a wooden spoon, rub the cheese through a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Beat the softened butter thoroughly into the cheese, and set aside.
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3. Over high heat, heat the cream in a small saucepan until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar together with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they thicken enough to run sluggishly off the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl.
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4. Still beating, slowly add the hot cream in a thin stream, then return the mixture to the pan. Stirring constantly, cook over low heat until the mixture thickens to a custard like consistency. Do not allow it to boil or it may curdle.
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5. Off the heat stir in the candied fruits and set the pan in a large bowl filled with ice cubes covered with 2 inches of water. Stir the custard constantly with a metal spoon until it is completely cooled, then mix it gently but thoroughly into the cheese mixture and stir in the chopped almonds.
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6. Although the Russians use a special paskha form in which to shape this Easter dessert a 2-quart clay flower pot with an opening in the bottom is a good substitute.
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7. Set the pot in a shallow soup plate and line it with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth, cut long enough so that it hangs at least 2 inches over and around the top of the pot. Pour in the batter and fold the ends of the cheesecloth lightly over the top.
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8. Set a weight directly on top of the cheesecloth - perhaps a pan filled with 2 or 3 heavy cans of food-and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight, until the dessert is firm.
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GARNISH:
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1. To unmold, unwrap the cheesecloth from the top, invert a flat serving plate on top of the pot and, grasping the two firmly together, turn them over.
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2. The paskha will slide out easily. Gently peel off the cheesecloth and decorate the top and sides of the cake as fancifully as you like with the almonds and candied fruits.
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3. The paskha may be served alone, or spread in a thick layer on slices of kulich. Once unmolded, the paskha can be safely kept refrigerated for at least a week before serving.
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