Greek New Year's pie Archives - LEFKASEABNB Beach Retreat

Happy New Year 2021 from Lefkaseabnb

Once again, the time has come to say goodbye to another year. But this time is different for all of us. There are still millions of people out there dying due to the pandemic that started in the beginning of 2020. This bloody year which is about time to leave us, taught us a big lesson for our lives. In particular, this year changed our lives completely by reminding us that we should not take anything for granted! In other words, 2020 was just a simple warning for humanity to stop living so selfishly! So, it is time to appreciate the great gift of life and come together as one by helping each other! People should love people not things! It is time to build banks of food, water, housing and health care for everyone instead of banks of money! And no matter what God, each of us believes we are all brothers. No matter from where we are! America, Russia, Asia, Australia or Europe, we are all children of this planet and of the entire universe. Everyone of us deserves a decent life. Moreover, It is about time for sustainable development in every aspect of our life. Of course, always with respect to our home, the Earth. Otherwise our future will get worse year by year for us and for our planet. So, let’s start giving for a Happy New Year 2021!!

Let’s start in sweet fashion: Enjoy Greek New Year’s Pie “Vasilopita”

Happy New Year 2021 Greek Vasilopita — Greek New Year’s Pie “Vasilopita”

Every year, on New Year’s Eve all Greeks cook the traditional pie of Saint Basil ‘Vasilopita’. Saint Basil the Great was a Christian Orthodox Bishop of Caesarea. An old city of Minor Asia, (Kayseri now in Turkey). According to the tradition, people of Caesarea had to pay taxes due to an order of Julian, the Byzantium emperor. Almost the majority of them were poor and offered their jewels instead of money. However, after Julian’s death in a campaign against Persians there was no need of further financial aid for the army.

Hence, Saint Basil, who dedicated his life to the poor, had to find a fair way to return the jewels. So, he told the families of Caesarea to cook sweet pies. Later, the Saint put in each one of them a jewel and sent them back. Following this story and the tradition, all Greeks cook the “Vasilopita” pie on New Year’s Eve. They put a fake gold coin in it instead of a jewel. Finally, at the time of the year’s change they cut the pie. Then, the one who finds the coin will be the Lucky one of the Year.

So, let us now give you the recipe of Saint Basil’s pie.

Recipe of Saint Basil’s Pie or in Greek “Vasilopita”

Ingredients

400 gr Flour of general purpose

1 spoon of soup baking powder

250 gr Sugar

4 Eggs

250 gr Cow’s Butter in room temperature

90 gr Walnuts

2 vanilla sachets

50 gr of cognac/brandy

Peels of an orange from grater

Juice from one orange

Powdered sugar for the topping

Directions

Mix thoroughly the butter with the sugar with your kitchen mixer. Pour one egg at a time in the mixture. Pour the cognac/brandy, the crumb of the walnuts, the juice and the orange peels inside the mixture. In another bowl mix the flour, the baking powder and the vanilla. Then pour the mixture of flour inside the first mixture and mix until you have an homogeneous mixture. Pour this mixture in a proper buttered cake pan. Put your favourite fake coin in aluminium foil and in the mixture. Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the mixture for 45 minutes. Take your Vasilopita out of the oven and after 20 minutes out of the pan. Finally, just pour the powder sugar on your Vasilopita cake with a tea strainer for the topping decoration and enjoy!!