Festive bakes made in Cyprus

Vasilopita

Vasilopita, which translates as St Basil’s cake, is the traditional Greek New Year’s cake. It has its roots in the Orthodox Christian communities of Asia Minor.
In my family, we always celebrated on January 1, as it is also the name day of my second son, Vasos. We sadly lost him this year, but will forever make this cake in his memory.
There are many versions of Vasilopita. Some are made as a tsoureki-style brioche, others as a simple cake with fruit or nuts, and some are shaped into a large coil. You can decorate it with sifted icing sugar, desiccated coconut, a thin glaze, soft icing, or almonds, whatever you prefer.
A coin (traditionally a gold one) is wrapped in baking paper and hidden in the batter before the cake is baked. When the cake is cut, either just before midnight on New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s morning, the person who finds the coin in their slice is considered to have good luck for the year.

250g soft butter
250g caster sugar
4 large organic eggs, separated
Grated zest of 1 large orange and juice
100ml full fat milk
2 tbsp yogurt
4 tbsp brandy
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground mastic-gum & mahlepi (optional)
½ tsp mixed spice
350-400g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Few drops vanilla extract
To decorate
Icing sugar or sprinkle with coconut
For the year, cut numbers from soft icing or use blanched whole almonds

Pre-heat the oven to 170C. Grease and base-lined a 24cm round cake tin.
In a clean glass bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
In another bowl cream the butter with a hand electric whisk until very fluffy and light. Add the sugar and whisk again then gradually add the egg yolks, one at a time with the orange zest, orange juice, yoghurt, or milk, brandy, mastic, mahlepi, vanilla and spices.
Sift in the flour with the baking powder a bit at the time and mix lightly with a wooden spoon until smooth, you may not need all the flour, you are looking for a soft light mixture.
Fold in the egg whites a bit at a time, and pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Tap the pan on the counter to force air bubbles to the surface, don’t forget to insert the coin, gently level the top ,if you are going to decorate the cake with almonds add them now.
Place the cake straight in the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf, for 45 minutes – do not open the oven too early otherwise the cake will crack on top. After 30min open the oven gently and cover the cake with double greaseproof paper or foil. Bake the cake for another 15 minutes and test it with a fine cake pin in the centre – if it comes out clean it is ready. Remove from the oven allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 10min.
Remove cake from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool. Dust the Vasilopita with lots of icing sugar or brush it with honey and sprinkling it with coconut.

Melomakarona

It is impossible to imagine a Greek Christmas without melomakarona. Just as mince pies define the English festive table, these honey-soaked biscuits are an essential part of the season for Greek and Cypriot families.
Melomakarona are oval Christmas biscuits, traditionally prepared in the weeks leading up to the holiday and offered to guests throughout the season.
Because many households observe the pre-Christmas fast, the biscuits made during this period contain only vegetable oil and olive oil, with no butter or eggs. Once the fast is broken on Christmas Day, butter may be introduced for a richer flavour.

Makes 28
For the syrup
500g sugar
570ml water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup honey
few drops lemon juice
For the biscuit
150ml olive oil
150ml vegetable oil
100g caster sugar
Juice of 2 large oranges and grated zest of 1 orange
1 liqueur glass brandy
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
200g fine semolina
700g plain flour sifted
To decorate
Honey
Ground or finely chopped walnuts
Ground cinnamon

To make the syrup, place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan, apart for the honey and bring slowly to the boil until the sugar dissolves, add honey and simmer for 8-10 minutes, remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, mix and whisk the orange juice with the bicarbonate of soda, then add oils, grated zest, sugar, brandy and spices.
In another large bowl add the sifted flour, baking powder and semolina.
Gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients and mix lightly, starting with a wooden spoon then using your hand until the mixture comes together, and you have a light pliable but firm dough (do not over work the dough). If the dough is too soft to handle add more flour and if too stiff add more orange juice, rest for 10minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Break off egg sized pieces of the dough and squeeze and roll them in the palm of your hands so that they hold together. Shape into ovals and holding each biscuit, with the back of a fork gently make ridges on top of each biscuits to make patterns, do not flatten them.
Place on baking sheet lined with baking paper, not too close together and bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and allow to get cold, store in airtight containers.
When required , warm syrup or make the syrup on the day. Dip cold biscuits in hot syrup a few at a time for about 3 seconds.
Arrange them on a platter, drizzle them with honey and sprinkle them with walnuts and ground cinnamon.
These biscuits can be made up to three to four weeks in advance. You could also stuff the biscuits with half a walnut, or half a date before baking.
Good Luck and Happy Christmas !

Loulla’s book My Kosmos My Kitchen is available on Amazon UK