World Flavors Cookbook

Vasilopita

St. Basil's New Year's cake — a sweet, orange-scented bread or cake with a coin hidden inside. Whoever finds it has good luck all year.

Cuisine: Greece

Ingredients

• 500g flour
• 200g sugar
• 150g butter
• 3 eggs
• 150ml warm milk
• 15g fresh yeast
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 clean coin (wrapped in foil)
• 1 egg for glazing
• Sesame seeds or almonds

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk with 1 tsp sugar.
2. Mix flour, sugar, butter, eggs, orange zest, and orange blossom water.
3. Add yeast mixture. Knead 10 minutes.
4. Let rise 1.5 hours.
5. Insert coin wrapped in foil into dough. Shape into a round.
6. Let rise 45 minutes.
7. Brush with beaten egg. Decorate with sesame or almonds.
8. Bake at 180C for 40-45 minutes.