Vassilopita with phyllo pastry, sesame and spices - Traditional New Year's pie

A different version of the New Year's cake which patiently waits to be cut when the clock strikes midnight! I have told you about the significance and the story (or legend if you like) behind the tradition of the Saint Basil's cake which we have on New Year's day in Greece and I have given you a few interesting and tasty recipes to try out. Today we have something totally different than the classic (or less classic) recipes. It is a traditional one that can be found in various areas in North Greece, especially from the Thrace region. It is a nice idea to have something out of the ordinary this Year and to get to know recipes from different regions of the country. As always, don't forget to put in a coin so to give good luck to the one who will have the right piece of the pie!

White Christmas Pavlova garnished with lemon whipped cream and Winter berries sauce

Airy and delicious, with its crispy crust and its soft, light inside Pavlova is an ideal dessert during the Festive season and there are not many who would say no to such a dessert so to close their Festive meal in the best way

White Christmas chocolate log with chestnut filling, covered with white chocolate and cream cheese frosting

A delicious and so good looking Festive dessert which will make you proud to treat your guests with it after a beautiful Christmas dinner!!

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: St. Basil's pie "a la Polita" - Another version of the traditional New Year's cake

That special time is knocking at our doors again... The time to say "good bye" to the current year and "welcome" the New one full of hopes and expectations for us and our beloved. And in Greece, today on New Year's Eve, in most households the main star of the day is the "Vassilopita" cake (St. Basil's pie). That delicious cake (mainly sweet but also savoury in some regions) which is not just any cake. It is a special tradition and festivities would not be the same without it. I have told you in the past about St. Basil, his role and what he means to the Greeks and the significance behind the preparation of this cake. There are different versions of Vassilopita around the country but all of them have something in common. The coin we put in while preparing it and which, according to the tradition, brings luck and good health for the rest of the year to the person who might end up with the specific piece of the cake. One quite popular version of this cake is the one resembling the traditional Tsoureki sweet bread and which we call "Politiki Vassilopita" ("a la Polita") probably because its origin goes back to the Greeks from Asia Minor, whom we have to thank especially for all the delicious culinary treasures they brought with them years ago. Admittedly this is not the fastest or easiest version of Vassilopita. Like the Tsoureki bread it demands time and patience to rise properly and perhaps it is not the best choice for those who are not so experienced in home bread making. But for those who'd like to try it out I have to say that their time and effort will be fully rewarded! Full of taste and aromas thanks to the aromatic spices this fluffy cake/pie/bread could become a favourite and for the non-Greeks a year round sweet delicacy to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Easy fully-chestnut chocolate truffles with rum

These small, cute and really delicious truffles can be made in advance and stay with you during the whole Festive season to be served any time! If they survive all these days that is!:-) So easy to pick one up every time you pass by them and it is hard to ignore them I'm telling you! The recipe it is a rather classic version for truffles and as you'll see not complicated at all to prepare. Although it differs in more than one element, it reminds me of the recipe my mother's sister used to make every year. I still remember how anxious I was as a kid when I knew that the time for "auntie's truffles" arrived.... I know, this is rich coming from somebody who declares in every chance how a big fan of savoury dishes she is but .... everybody has their sweet weakness I suppose....:-)  

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Baklavas with hazelnuts garnished with dried figs boiled in a red wine syrup - A modern twist to the traditional dessert

I hope that all you had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday with your beloved ones and that you still have some space left for one more dessert.... Baklavas in Greece is very popular all year round but in various areas around the country it is considered as the main dessert during the Festive season. The recipe can differ from region to region but the principal idea remains the same. The today's version has a rather modern twist to the classic with the hazelnuts as the main ingredient of the filling instead of the customary walnuts or almonds. Then the syrup is infused with the less sharp flavour of a lime instead of lemon. And for the end the dessert is served garnished with dried figs nicely cooked in a red wine syrup.... Well, no need for any dinner at all!:-)) Joking aside, my opinion is that this Baklavas is very tasty and quite filling but for somebody like me, who is more of a savoury dishes fan, one piece is enough to keep them for days without craving any more sweets. You will also notice that classic spices we usually put in the filling mixed with the nuts are missed in this version. No cloves and cinnamon are involved and that had me intrigued the first time I saw the recipe. So, when I first made it I followed it to the letter because I was so curious... I thought it was very fine but still as if something was missing ... The second time I had it my way but then I wondered if the hazelnuts do really go with cloves and cinnamon, at least in sweets of this kind.... I'm not sure really and I think that I will probably stick to the original recipe after all. And, quoting my husband when he often teases me, "I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure"....:-))))

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: "Christopsomo" - Traditional Christmas spiced sweet bread

The "Christopsomo" (Christ's bread) is a tradition found more or less all around the country and there are various versions of it depending on the region it comes from. Nowadays, of course, more often people buy their savoury or sweet Christmas bread at the bakery shop but in the past the families were preparing this significant for the season bread at home. The recipe I present you today is one of a lightly sweet taste with the addition of some amazing aromatic spices in it and the distinctive but elegant flavour of mastic

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: A special Christmas cake with white chocolate glaze

Another sweet idea for your Festive table. A cake which is out of the classic traditional Greek standards where, though, the ingredients work together perfectly! Chocolate, two types of chestnuts and hazelnuts, in other words an explosively tasty combination which will not pass unnoticed. A cake which can be served in any occasion really during the Winter time

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Easy Festive trifle with chestnuts flavoured with coffee liqueur

This is a really tasty dessert but also not complicated at all to prepare if you'd like something different to serve during this year's Holiday season. Layers of fluffy sponge cake (Madeira cake is also a good choice for this recipe), cream cheese and chestnut jam are the main ingredients for this luscious trifle which will not take much of your time since you can cheat a bit regarding its preparation giving you the chance to concentrate on other more demanding festive dishes you have in mind to prepare

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2013: Festive easy and fast white chocolate bars with dried fruits

A simple but delicious and very presentable little sweet treat to offer as a gift to friends and family this Festive season or to have at home and treat yourselves and your guests any time! Without too many ingredients or a complicated preparation these mini bars will prove to be the stars of the Holidays! Very easily, if you prefer, the dried fruits can be replaced by various toasted finely chopped nuts or to combine the two for a richer flavour

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Melomakarona (Greek Christmas cookies) stuffed with sesame seeds

This is a different version than the classic Melomakarona. A traditional recipe coming for the beautiful island of Rhodes

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Roxakia - Traditional sweet two-coloured pastry bites

Small and cute sweets and quite light in taste. A traditional delicacy coming from up North Greece but possibly they first arrived with the Greeks from Asia Minor. In Thessaloniki, where they are considered as a local delicacy, they also serve Roxakia as a Christmas sweet treat

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Kourabiedes (Greek Christmas butter cookies) flavoured with mastic

The mastic gives an extra flavour and aroma to the, already, delicate and delicious taste of kourabiedes. Another version of this popular traditional Christmas sweet

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Mini cakes with whisky and coffee

Serve these simple in ingredients but delicious in taste Festive mini cakes during the Holiday season to please the family and your guests. Nothing complicated about them but the addition of the whisky and the coffee turn them into a special sweet treat

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Edible Holiday gifts for friends and family!

The little gifts made at home by ourselves always enclose the care and the meaning of offering something special to those we love! The difficult times most people have to deal with the last few years make us to be especially careful with our finances... but having to cut off expenses is not always so bad after all since now more than ever we have the opportunity to discover hidden talents which we had not realised that we possessed... So lets start this year's festive season with a few ideas of how we could create tasty, edible little gifts for those we love. I'm sure that most will appreciate the effort and the time we spend on this and they will enjoy these delicacies made at home. Three simple but very tasty recipes, two sweet and one savoury, which you have plenty of time to prepare

Special Festive dessert

Special Festive dessert indeed! One of those unique desserts which can bring the right balance after a rich dinner or when served next to other buffet dishes. The combination of the fineness of the good quality chocolate breaks down nicely the acidity of the fruits with impressive flavours exploding in your mouth!

Festive dessert with chocolate and chestnut mousse, caramelised corn flakes and pomegranate granita

A good looking, clever and delicious dessert to enjoy on New Year's party or any time really when you want something light and special. The surprise part of this dessert, to me, are the caramelised cornflakes which give such a nice crunchy taste and the refreshing pomegranate granita giving a nice balance to the sweet mousse

Blood orange flavoured Festive bougatsa pie

The delicious sweet bougatsa pie with a modern twist to impress your guests serving them something out of the ordinary this Holiday season. The recipe keeps its classic idea but it is enriched not only with the flavour of the blood orange but also with a nice syrup to just drizzle on top

Mixed nuts Greek baklavas with cardamom syrup

Baklavas (Greek-style or from any other country) doesn't need much of an introduction, does it? It is one of those desserts that, although "old-fashioned" (to some...), remains a classic dessert which never fails to please and there are plenty of variations which somebody could try and always with the same result: just delicious! In various areas of Greece it is considered as the main Christmas period treat and today we have a version (maybe not so traditional) with its syrup infused with the distinctive aroma and taste of cardamom

Christmas "Saragli" phyllo pastry rolls with chocolate and orange

Another version of this delicate and delicious dessert with phyllo pastry. After the classic recipe I posted 2 years ago here we have a more "modern" version to try out. Saragli are so tasty and because they come in small size are easier to eat without feeling smothered by the syrup and also easy to treat your guests or to serve it on a platter among other little sweets on a buffet. The photos will help you to understand better about the recipe's unusual rolling and the specific way is much easier than the traditional one