[Usesdiums]

Please can you post your favorite Vasilopita recipe? Happy Saint Basil's!

[longrema]

From St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church in Pasadena California

reminds me of a denser St. Phanourios bread. Almost, a sweet Prosphora.



Greek Orthodoxy - Vasilopita Observance


One of the most beautiful and inspiring traditions and customs of the Orthodox Church is the observance of the Vasilopita. It is this annual observance, together with many other traditions that brings together our families and increases our awareness of the needs of the poor.

The world Vasilopita is a compound Greek word which means the sweet bread of St. Basil the Great, the one that is cut New Year’s eve or New Year’s day. Usually it is cut by the senior member of the family.

Portions of the Agiovasilopita or Vasilopita are distributed as follows: The first portion is cut in remembrance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The second is for the Holy Mother of our Lord, Virgin Mary. The third is for St. Basil the Great, the other portions are cut for the members of the family including the Church, house, for the traveler, the visitor and the poor.

In one of those portions is a coin and whoever receives that coin, is believed to have a special blessing for the New Year. The traditional Vasilopita with the gathering of the family members and with the holiday atmosphere is one of the most beautiful traditions of our families.

The traditional recipe is as follows:

For 3 pounds of Vasilopita


12 cups of sifted bread flour

4 sticks of unsweetened butter

6 eggs

3 cups of whole milk

3 packages of quick rise dry yeast

3 cups of sugar

1-1/2 tsps. of finely crushed mastika

3 tsps. of salt

3 tsps. of cinnamon

orange peel or brandy flavoring (touch)




Directions:

Place the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a bowl.
Place the mastika, cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and flavorings in a bowl and mix.
Whip the 6 eggs together until they are golden yellow (15 minutes)
Melt the butter and add the milk, constantly turning at low heat.
Add the mastika mixture to the eggs and mix well.
Add the yeast mixture to the eggs and mix well.
Gradually, sir in the milk/butter mixture.
Gradually, mix in the sugar.
Add 2 cups of flour and continue stirring well.
Gradually, add four 1 cup at a time until dough is not sticky.
Knead the dough with the additional flour for about 15-20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven at 325.
Put dough in a ball and cover in butter.
Sprinkle flour in a corss on the dough and have each cook (or child) make a cross on the dough's center.
Place dough in a covered, greased pan and allow to rise about 2-1/2 hours.
After dough has doubled in size, punch in the middle, divide into greased pans and allow to rise about 45 minutes. (Place coin in at this stage.)
Cover pita in an egg white gloss and sprinkle sesame seeds on the top.
Decorate cross in center with almonds and/or cinnamon prints.
Bake at 325 for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with foil if getting too brown and test with fork to see if it sticks.
After cooling, turn the pita 3 times in a clockwise turn and make the sign of the cross 3 times on the surface. Cut the pita and the first piece going to St. Basil and the Saints, next the home, business and family in seniority order!

[thomaskkk]

Nina, I just posted something about the New Year's Vasilopitta (St. Basil's pie) on the loneliness thread.

Up here in North Greece we don't make the sweet New Year's cake. We make a proper pitta. This year I am going to make a mincemeat pitta. It will be delicious. I also explained our customs concerning the Vasilopitta on the other thread.

Happy New Year Nina and Paul.

Effie

[harriettvanders]

Effie

Hey Effie up here in Australia the Greeks have kept this tradition. Here is the recipe my mum uses from the Greek Tselementes ... it was hard translating it so if it sounds wonky ... well ...woops.

Basilopita from "Smyrni"

Ingredients:
6 cups flour
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
Coniac
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
Grate of 1 Orange
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (use the orange you grated)

1) Mix the baking powder with the flour and have on hand
2) Add the coniac and the squeezed orange juice together and have on hand
3) Beat the egg-whites so that they form a nice merengue.

With a mixer beat the eggs-yolks and the sugar together for about 5-6 minutes and then add the butter (room temperature) and continue to beat this for a further 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the grated orange zest into the mix.
Slow the mixer down and start to add a little bid of flour, a little of the juice and a little of the merengue. Wait until the blender has mixed all the ingredients and then add a little bit more flour, and more juice, watch the mixture as it blends add more flour until you have finished adding all the flour and all the juice and the merengue ...

Be careful that the eggs whites dont over heat during the blending of the mixture.

Put into a buttered and floured cate-tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at a reasonable cake cooking temperature (I am hopeless with this recipe) ...

When it is cooked naturally sprinkle icing-sugar on top and take to your local church for a blessing from the priest ..

OH and dont forget to add the wrapped coin before cooking!!!!

[hHwJ229h]

The beaten egg whites would make this cake especially light.

Thanks Vasiliki.

I know how faithfully the Diaspora Greeks keep all our traditions. In some ways they are more Greek than those who live here.

For example : my mum made yiaprakia this year - my family is in Australia. Yiaprakia are our speciality here in Kozani. They consist of sauerkraut and a mincemeat and rice filling. Lakanodolmades really - cabbage rolls but instead of a scalded cabbage with lemon added, we use the sauerkraut we make ourselves.

The only difference being that my mum bought her sauerkraut from a Chinese shop!!!!

My first cookbook was Tselementes in English - my husband found it for me in a shop in Melbourne. Your mentioning this brings back memories. I still have it actually. I use its recipe for Mayeritisa each year at Easter.

The cookbook I use now for my Greek dishes is Tess Mallios'. She is a Greek Australian who travelled all over Greece gathering authentic recipes. Everything in it is delicious. Never once have I used a recipe from this book without its being very successful. This is an Australian book and it should be easy to find if you're interested in a really good Greek cookbook in English.

Effie

[JANALA]

The beaten egg whites would make this cake especially light.

The cookbook I use now for my Greek dishes is Tess Mallios'. She is a Greek Australian who travelled all over Greece gathering authentic recipes. Everything in it is delicious. Never once have I used a recipe from this book without its being very successful. This is an Australian book and it should be easy to find if you're interested in a really good Greek cookbook in English.

Effie

Thank God you didnt say you have a VREFA cookbook ... LOL. She put a diabetic cookbook and my auntie gave it to me as a present ...it was terrible! All of her recipes will give you heart-disease .... LOL

Good-night to everyone .. I am off to bed.

[Frodogzzz]

Nina, I just posted something about the New Year's Vasilopitta (St. Basil's pie) on the loneliness thread.

Up here in North Greece we don't make the sweet New Year's cake. We make a proper pitta. This year I am going to make a mincemeat pitta. It will be delicious. I also explained our customs concerning the Vasilopitta on the other thread.

Effie

Ah I have to see it, Effie! You know, my grandmothers (maternal and paternal) also did not make the Vasilopita sweet. They also made a kind of pita that is too difficult for me to make (did not pay attention when they tried to teach me ). I guess I can just make spanakopita or tyropita, however I would like to make something sweet because my in laws love sweets and also I like to decorate it with confectioners sugar and pomegranate (and write a wish for St. Basil's day). I am trying to make my in laws be drawn to Orthodoxy first through the stomach

OH and dont forget to add the wrapped coin before cooking!!!! lol Vasiliki. Yeah that's kind of important A couple of years ago, I placed the coin towards the center and it was difficult to find and then I figured out I must place it towards the edges since it is easier (and I remember my family used to do the same) to find.

[artenotreah]

Coniac
!

Is METAXA ok? I just bought some for making deserts these days when I had dinner parties. Crushed baklava, in the middle of two layers of vanilla ice cream with a touch of Metaxa and cinnamon powder.

[pennadyFeet]

Is METAXA ok? I just bought some for making deserts these days when I had dinner parties. Crushed baklava, in the middle of two layers of vanilla ice cream with a touch of Metaxa and cinnamon powder.

I use Metaxas brandy in my melamacarona. I always use the 3 star because I don't want to use the good stuff for sweets.

Effie

[shodulsilfeli]

I use Metaxas brandy in my melamacarona. I always use the 3 star because I don't want to use the good stuff for sweets.

Effie

I dont know :-) I am a terrible .. no .. I am a lazy cook. I cant be bothered and leave it all to mum .... she loves that stuff better. I dont see why not though ... it would alter the taste slightly but who is the wiser?

[8Uxtkz7F]

I dont know :-) I am a terrible .. no .. I am a lazy cook. I cant be bothered and leave it all to mum .... she loves that stuff better. I dont see why not though ... it would alter the taste slightly but who is the wiser?

Vasiliki, Chronia Polla kai Kala Many Happy Returns of the day for your nameday.


Can I give you a little advice based on my own experience?

It is much, much easier learning how to cook from your mum than it is once you are married.

The only things I knew how to cook when I got married were grilled chops, mashed potatoes and steamed peas!!!!!!

Learn now. My mum makes the most delicious and light pastry for her pittes - did I ever bother to learn? I was too busy with my job and with my life. I now use Kanaki krousta phillo sheets. I am amazing with the filling though......

Lots of love and a happy, happy day for you from icy and frozen Kozani.

Effie

[car.insur]

Vasiliki, Chronia Polla kai Kala Many Happy Returns of the day for your nameday.


Can I give you a little advice based on my own experience?

It is much, much easier learning how to cook from your mum than it is once you are married.

The only things I knew how to cook when I got married were grilled chops, mashed potatoes and steamed peas!!!!!!

Learn now. My mum makes the most delicious and light pastry for her pittes - did I ever bother to learn? I was too busy with my job and with my life. I now use Kanaki krousta phillo sheets. I am amazing with the filling though......

Lots of love and a happy, happy day for you from icy and frozen Kozani.

Effie

hahaha Effie MOU! I HAVE already been married - sad story but I am divorced. I DO COOK VERY WELL - I am just lazy!!!! :-) xxxx

[Bobobsdo]

Learn now. My mum makes the most delicious and light pastry for her pittes - did I ever bother to learn? I was too busy with my job and with my life. I now use Kanaki krousta phillo sheets. I am amazing with the filling though......

Effie

Effie! Happy St. Basil's! Many blessings for you and your loved ones!

Re Phillo: I know! I never learned the ART from my mom and grandmothers and I regret it!

Mr. Kanaki makes nice phillos too. I have met him and have visited his factory in Athens. He is a nice person.

Vasiliki! Happy nameday! Many, many, many blessings for you this year!

Vasilopita turned out great! Thank you all since I wanted to try a new Vasilopita recipe! My father in law received the coin of St. Basil! He is Protestant but you had to see how proud and happy he was!!! He treasured the coin and today he will read the life of St. Basil and the Vasilopita history! God works in wonderful ways!!!!!!! Glory to Him!!!!!!! And yes, Orthodoxy can be introduced first through the stomach.

It was funny because my fil could not say Vasilopita and he started saying yesterday (even before he got the coin) VasiloPapi (since we call him Papi = Dad in German).

[Anteneprorid]

It's interesting that in French Canada there was also an old tradition of a St Basil's cake including putting coins in it.

Since there was little to no direct eastern influence on the 17thc Catholic traditions that came to Quebec then this tradition of a St Basil cake must have been common to much of Christian Europe at one time.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[CurtisTH]

It's interesting that in French Canada there was also an old tradition of a St Basil's cake including putting coins in it.

Since there was little to no direct eastern influence on the 17thc Catholic traditions that came to Quebec then this tradition of a St Basil cake must have been common to much of Christian Europe at one time.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

Yes, Father! Yesterday while I was trying to decide about the quantity of cognac for Vasilopita since it was not in the recipe I started googling about Vasilopita and (I do not recall the exact combination of words) I received so many choices which were saying Vasilopita... Catholic... Roman Catholic... and so on. I was: wow! And wanted to know more about it but had no time at the moment. You confirmed it and I am so glad we can research this aspect too (since my mil is RC - so she can feel also included).

Your blessings.

[pertikuss]

Vasiliki! Happy nameday! Many, many, many blessings for you this year!

Thank you Nina ... it really was a lovely holiday and I hope you enjoyed some of the photos of our church festivities that I posted in (as you call it) the other place.

Vasilopita turned out great! Thank you all since I wanted to try a new Vasilopita recipe! My father in law received the coin of St. Basil! He is Protestant but you had to see how proud and happy he was!!! He treasured the coin and today he will read the life of St. Basil and the Vasilopita history! God works in wonderful ways!!!!!!! Glory to Him!!!!!!! And yes, Orthodoxy can be introduced first through the stomach.

Yes, food is a great way to plant the seed .. he is going to read the story ... hopefully this will inspire him to read the story of Saint Phanourios on August 27, when you bake a Fanouropita for him and try Orthodoxy through the stomach (again). Heheheh

[pseusawbappem]

Thank you Nina ... it really was a lovely holiday and I hope you enjoyed some of the photos of our church festivities that I posted in (as you call it) the other place.

I did! Especially greeting of the New Year Chios style.


Yes, food is a great way to plant the seed .. he is going to read the story ... hopefully this will inspire him to read the story of Saint Phanourios on August 27, when you bake a Fanouropita for him and try Orthodoxy through the stomach (again). Heheheh We live continents apart and they are visiting... but I have to bake a Fanouropita because the saint has helped me so much, but this Aug. 27 I was sooooooo busy because I was getting ready to go overseas. So I have made a pact with St. Phanourios that I will bake the pita afterwards. Now maybe it is the perfect time. Thanks for reminding me V.

[Breilopmil]

I did! Especially greeting of the New Year Chios style.

We live continents apart and they are visiting... but I have to bake a Fanouropita because the saint has helped me so much, but this Aug. 27 I was sooooooo busy because I was getting ready to go overseas. So I have made a pact with St. Phanourios that I will bake the pita afterwards. Now maybe it is the perfect time. Thanks for reminding me V.

When I was in Greece, I visited Saint Phanourios in Rhodes (this was the day I was married through a miracle of the Saint and I thought it would be a sign of appreciation to pay my respects to him) - as such, I have two beautiful pictures of the original church of Saint Phanourios (where they found the icon) and a photo of the icon that they found ... seeing his original icon will make you feel more connected to him on a personal level and you can reflect on this when baking the fanouropita! :-)

Now might be worthwhile directing you to this page:

http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Phanourios

With love in Christ, your Sister Vasiliki