Vaselopita Food

VASELOPITA - GREEK NEW YEARS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
• Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!

VASELOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a round 10-inch cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and 2 cups sugar until light; add flour and stir until mixture is mealy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
• Stir baking powder into milk then stir into flour mixture. Mix soda and lemon juice; stir into batter. Pour batter into the greased pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts and 1 tablespoon white sugar, then return to oven for 20 to 30 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove cake from the oven and gently cut a small hole in the middle. Place a quarter in the hole; cover the hole with powdered sugar. Cool cake on a rack for about 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving dish. Sift powdered over the top and serve warm.

VASILOPITA

Steps:

• To Prepare:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and a 4-inch round cake pan.
• To Make the Cake:
• Combine the almonds, brown sugar, and honey in a small bowl, and set aside. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mahlab in a medium bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, and mix well.
• To Bake the Cake:
• Divide one-third of the nut mixture between the two prepared pans, scattering it in an even layer over their bottoms. Fill the smaller (4-inch) pan two-thirds full of batter, then pour half of the remaining batter into the larger (9-inch) pan. Bake both layers for 20 minutes, until the cakes become a bit firm. Sprinkle half of the remaining almond mixture in an even layer over both cakes, and lay the coin on top of one of the partly baked cakes. Pour the remaining batter on top of each cake. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes.
• To Serve:
• Remove the cakes from their pans, and place the smaller one on top of the larger. Top with the remaining almond mixture, and serve warm.

VASILOPITA (NEW YEAR BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the milk.
• Add remainder of milk, eggs, orange rind and sugar.
• Sift 3 cups flour, salt and spices into a warm bowl and make a wellin the centre.
• Pour in yeast mixture and stir to blend in flour, gradually adding warm melted butter.
• Mix dough with hands until it comes away from sides.
• Turn on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining flour as required.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Place ball of dough in a clean bowl brushed with melted butter.
• Turn dough over to coat top with butter and cover bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap.
• Leave to prove (rise) in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and turn on to lightly floured surface.
• Knead lightly and shape into a round loaf.
• Place on a large greased baking sheet or in a greased 10 inch deep cake tin.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in numbers to denote the New Year, pressing in lightly.
• Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked when tested.
• If bread browns too quickly place a piece of greased brown paper on top.
• Cool on a wire rack.

VASILOPITA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup milk, yeast and 1/2 cup flour. Cover and let the sponge rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Place 6 cups flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the sponge, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 3/4 cup melted butter, 3 eggs and 2 cups milk. Mix thoroughly to make a stiff dough.
• Transfer the dough into a greased springform pan. Brush dough with melted butter, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash.
• When dough has risen, insert a clean silver coin into the loaf. Brush dough egg wash and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake in preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.

VASILOPITA - GREEK SAINT BASIL'S NEW YEAR'S CAKE

Steps:

• Clean! Silver or gold coin wrapped in aluminum foil (a quarter works well).
• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 10 inch round cake pan with 1 Tbs butter.
• In a medium bowl, cream the cup of butter and 2 cups of sugar together until light in color. Stir in the flour and mix until the batter resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each one in well.
• In a small bowl combine the baking powder and milk, add to the cake batter and mix well. Finally combine the lemon juice and baking soda in a small bowl, add to the cake batter and mix well. Pour the cake batter in to the greased cake pan, insert the foil wrapped coin, and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the nuts and 2 Tbs sugar over the cake, then return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 20-30 minutes until the cake springs to the touch. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes then invert the pan on to a cake plate.
• Ideally the cake should be served warm; each person gets a slice of the cake starting with the most senior member. Members of the Greek Orthodox Church believe that whoever gets the coin is blessed.

GREEK NEW YEAR'S ORANGE AND BRANDY CAKE (VASSILOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F, and grease a 10" round cake pan.
• Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy (about 3 min). Add butter and beat an additional minute. Beat in orange juice and brandy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and zests. Add the dry ingredients to the yolk mixture, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Clean the beaters, and beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Fold them gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the cake pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with almonds (if making for the new year, write the year with the almonds).
• Bake for about an hour, or until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.