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For the melomakarona

150g thin semolina (5.3 ounces)

500g flour (soft) (17.6 ounces)

1/2 tbsp baking powder

100g orange juice (3.5 ounces)

3 tbsps cognac

100g sugar (3.5 ounces)

1 flat tbsp powdered cinnamon

1/3 tsp nutmeg (powder)

1/3 tsp clove (powder)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp baking soda

90g water (3.2 ounces)

125g olive oil (4.4 ounces)

125g vegetable oil (4.4 ounces)

50g honey (1.8 ounces)

zest of 2 oranges

For the syrup

300g water (10 ounces)

600g sugar (20 ounces)

90g glucose (3 ounces)

2 cinnamon sticks

3 whole cloves

1 orange, cut in half

180g honey (7 ounces)

To garnish

200g chopped walnuts (7 ounces)

powdered cinnamon (optional)

powdered clove (optional)

Instructions

1. To prepare this melomakarona recipe start by making the syrup first. In a pot add all the ingredients for the syrup, except the honey and bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the stove. Stir in the honey and  set aside to cool completely.

2. Prepare the dough for the melomakarona. In a bowl add the semolina, flour and baking powder and blend with a whisk to combine.

3. In another large bowl add the orange juice, the cognac, the sugar and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla). At the end add the baking soda and whisk immediately the ingredients for 5-10 seconds, until the ingredients combine and the baking soda dissolves and starts to foam. Pour in the bowl the water, the oil, the orange zest and honey and whisk to combine.

4. Now it’s time to combine the two mixtures. Add the mixed flour, semolina and baking powder (from step 2) in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients from step 3 and start kneading the dough for the melomakarona. Knead the dough for the melomakarona using your hands, until the ingredients combine and the dough is smooth and soft. When preparing a melomakarona recipe, it is very important not to overwork the dough. Knead lightly with your hands (like working with a meringue) until the flour has incorporated the mixture and the dough is really soft. Be careful not to add any more flour than this melomakarona recipe calls for, as this will make them tough.

5. Preheat the oven at 180C. Layer the bottom of 2 baking trays with parchment paper and start shaping the melomakarona. Pinch a portion of dough about the size of a walnut/ 50g (or bigger, if you prefer) and shape with your palms into a smooth oblong shape, like a small egg. Place on the baking tray, push lightly the top with a fork and make some holes on top (not all the way down). Continue with the rest of the dough.

6. Place the baking trays with the melomakarona in the oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes, until the melomakarona are lightly browned and cooked through.

7. When the melomakarona come out of the oven, place them in the cold syrup, flipping them with a slotted spoon to absorb the syrup for approx. 10-20 seconds, depending on how syrupy you like them. (When syrupying the melomakarona it’s best do so in 2-3 batches). Remove the cookies using a slotted spoon, place on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

8. Store the melomakarona at room temperature in an airtight container. They will last for all your Christmas Holidays!

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Greek Christmas Recipe 2: Easiest Homemade Kourabiedes recipe (Greek Christmas Butter Cookies)

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Greek Christmas Recipe 2: Easiest Homemade Kourabiedes recipe (Greek Christmas Butter Cookies)

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Ingredients

250g butter made from cows milk, cold (9 ounces) (Lurpak unsalted)

150g almonds, roughly chopped or almond slivers, roasted (6 ounces)

50g almonds (whole) or almond slivers, raw (1.8 ounces). Alternatively you can also give pistachios a try

75g icing sugar (2.7 ounces)

1 tbsp rose water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

300g all-purpose flour (10.6 ounces)

lots of icing sugar for powdering

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. To prepare this kourabiedes (kourabiethes) recipe start by roasting the almonds. Place the roughly chopped almonds (150g/ 6 ounces) or almond silvers on a baking tray and sprinkle with some water. Bake them for 7-8 minutes, until roasted, being careful not to burn them. Set aside or put in the fridge to cool.

2. In a blender, add the raw almonds (50g/ 1.8 ounces) or the pistachios and blend, until powdered. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, add the cold butter and sugar; mix for about 10 seconds, until the butter ‘breaks’ and is completely dissolved. Add the powdered almonds, a pinch of salt, the rosewater and the vanilla extract; mix for 10-20 seconds, until combined. At the end, add the baking powder and flour and mix again for 10-15 seconds.

4. Place the mixture in a large bowl and add the roasted almonds; blend lightly with your hands. For the kourabiedes to remain fluffy, it is important that the butter doesn’t warm up and melt. So wait for a while for the roasted almonds to cool, before adding them to the butter mixture and wear plastic gloves, when blending with your hands, so that the temperature of your hands doesn’t warm up the butter.

5. Preheat the oven to 200C; layer the bottom of 2 baking trays with parchment paper and form the kourabiedes. Roll 1 tbsp of the dough into a ball, place on the baking tray and push with your finger in the middle, to form a little dimple. Continue with the rest of the dough.

6. Place the baking trays with the kourabiedes in second and fourth rack of the oven and turn the heat down to 180C. Bake for approx. 18-20 minutes, until they have a very faint golden tint and are cooked through. Be careful not to overbake them. (Leave the kourabiedes aside to cool down for a while. If you try to lift them, while still warm, they will break.)

7. Spray the kourabiedes with rosewater and sift with icing sugar. Enjoy!

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Greek Christmas Recipe 1: Vasilopita Cake Recipe (Greek New Year’s cake)

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Greek Christmas Recipe 1: Vasilopita Cake Recipe (Greek New Year’s cake)

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For the vasilopita

375g butter (13 ounces)

3 cups sugar

6 eggs (divided into yolks and whites)

a pinch of salt

zest of 2 oranges

1/2 cup orange juice

200g yogurt, strained (7 ounces)

1 tsp vanilla extract

750g self-rising flour, sifted  (26.5 ounces)

For the glaze

3 cups icing sugar

3 tbsps hot water or milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. To prepare this vasilopita recipe, start by dividing the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg whites in the bowl of the electric mixer, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues). Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

2. Use the electric mixer, to mix the butter and sugar, for about 20 minutes, until the butter is creamy and fluffy, like whipped cream. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whilst mixing, allowing time for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. Pour in the orange juice, the vanilla extract, the orange zest, the yogurt and mix to combine. Add 1/3 of the sifted flour and blend, using a maryse spatula. Add 1/3 of the meringues and blend with light circular movements from the bottom up. Repeat with the rest of the flour and meringue (adding 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 meringue and then the remaining flour and meringue).

3. To bake the vasilopita, preheat the oven to 200C (both top and bottom heating elements on). Butter the bottom and sides of a round non-sticking cake tin (approx.32cm diameter) and pour in the mixture. Place the cake tin in the preheated oven, on the lower rack, turn the heat down to 175C and bake for 50-60 minutes, until nicely coloured and cooked through. Check if the vasilopita is ready, by sticking in the middle of the cake a wooden skewer or toothpick. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.

4. Let the vasilopita cool down (otherwise it will break) and invert the pan on a plate. Wrap a coin with aluminium foil and stick it in the cake. Invert the vasilopita on a serving platter.

5. Prepare the glaze for the vasilopita. In a large bowl add all the ingredients and blend with a spatula to combine, until the glaze is smooth and and glossy.  Add a little bit more hot water, if needed (the glaze should be like a thin cream). Top the vasilopita with the glaze and even out with a spatula. Don’t forget to carve the number of the year on top of the glaze! Enjoy!

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Kallikantzaroi; Greek Christmas Goblins; Greek Christmas Customs & Traditions

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Kallikantzaroi; Greek Christmas Goblins; Greek Christmas Customs & Traditions

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Kallikantzaroi, plural  (Kallikantzaros singular) are mischievous Greek goblins , elves or gnomes, that appear during the twelve days of Christmas, from the end of December until Epiphany, January sixth.

These twelve days are also known as the winter solstice, and, in medieval times, yule or yuletide.
Kallikantzaroi are said to be small, black and male, mostly blind, with long black tails.

They speak with a lisp and eat small creatures, such as, worms, snails and frogs.

They only come out at night, and, are afraid of the sun, fire and holy water.

The rest of the year, they live at the centre of the Earth, where, they spend their time, chopping down The World Tree, or The Tree Of Life, that holds up the World, using a large saw.
At the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas, also the winter solstice, when the sun will not move again, until, sixth of January, Kallikantzaroi come up to the surface of the Earth, where, they cause all sorts of trouble and mischief.

Rather than being evil, they are considered impish and stupid.

They come out of hiding at night, to enter houses, anyway they can, through windows, down chimneys, through keyholes, and any cracks that they may find, in walls and around doors.

Once inside they cause havoc.

It is said, that if you leave a colander on your doorstep, at night, the Kallikantzaroi, who can only count to two, and consider the number three holy, and will kill themselves, before pronouncing it, will spend all night, counting the holes.

They only ever reach the number two, and start again, so as not to utter the word; three!

At sunrise, they disappear.

Another form of protection, is to mark your door with a black cross, on Christmas Eve.

Yet another, is to burn a smelly shoe on the fire, the foul smell will keep them away!

Now here is an interesting bit:

To stop the kallikantzaroi from coming down the chimney, a very large log is found and burnt for twelve days, until the sixth of January, when the Kallikantzaroi will go back to the centre of the Earth.

This ties in with the Norse tradition of Yuletide, the yule log, burnt for the the duration of the winter solstice, until the sun is on the move again!

In Greek folklore, the kallikantzaroi, disappear on the sixth of January, Epiphany, when Greek priests, go through all the houses, blessing them, with holy water, splashed around with a bunch of fresh basil.

By the way, when the Kallikantzaroi, arrive back, at the centre of the Earth, they find that The World Tree, has fully grown again!

Out comes their large saw, and they start to chop it down, all over again.

Until next year!

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Agios Vassilis – The Greek Santa Claus - Legend

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Agios Vassilis – The Greek Santa Claus - Legend

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What do you know about the Greek Name of Santa Claus? Is the Greek Santa Claus the same as in the rest of the world?

Santa Claus in Greece is though a different person than in the rest of Europe.

The Greek Santa Claus is Agios Vasilis(Αγιος Βασίλης) and he brings presents on New Year’s Eve.
Agios Vasilis is St Basil in English, and he comes from Caesarea in Asia Minor.

The story of St Basil is quite similar to the one of St Nicholas (the Western Santa Claus). St Basil (Agios Vasileios) was a kind-hearted and helpful man, who was aiding the poor and needy ones while he was bishop in Caesarea.

Agios Vassilios was far from chubby though; he was a tall, thin man with a black beard and black penetrating eyes.

He died on January 1st 379 AD. and the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates his memory on January 1st. This is why in Greece Agios Vasilis brings presents on New Year’s Eve and not on Christmas, as it happens elsewhere in the world.

According to the Greek tradition, the Greek Santa Claus was associated with bringing practical aid to the poor, so he was considered as someone who brings “gifts”. For the Greeks in Asia Minor, Agios Vassilis was something like the European Santa Claus.

It is not exactly clear how St Basil became the Greek Santa Claus, but the most predominant version of the story is that the Greeks of Turkey and Asia Minor brought the legend with them when forced to leave their homeland and move to Greece. This is why the main sweet bread of the New Year’s Eve in Greece bears his name: Vassilopita.