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Orthodox Christmas Recipes

Note: This page will be updated as various recipes are submitted/collected. Any recipes submitted will be appropriately credited to the submitting chef. Bon appetit!

Index:

Slovak Christmas Poteca
Poteca #2
Arabic Sfoof
Koulourakia
Koulouria
Kourabiedes
Smyrnian Cookies
Greek Christmas Melomacarona
Melomacarona #2
Russian St. Nicholas Cake
Greek New Year Cake (Vasilopita)
Greek New Year Cake (Vasilopita) #2
Anoushabour
Polish Christmas Kutia
Polish Christmas Kutia #2
Medianyk

Slovak Christmas Walnut Poteca

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Beat butter, 2 cups sugar, and egg yolks.
  2. Dissolve yeast in 4 cups of warm milk. Add salt. Combine with flour and knead until dough is no longer sticky.
  3. Cut into 14 equal pieces. Place on floured wax paper and cover with tea towels, let rise while making nut filling.
  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  5. Combine honey, 3 1/4 cups hot milk, 3 1/2 cups white sugar, egg whites and ground walnuts.
  6. Roll out one piece of dough into a large rectangle about 3/4 inch thick and spread with about 1 1/4 cups filling.
  7. Roll up jellyroll fashion and place on cookie sheet, seam side down.
  8. Brush with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water).
  9. Repeat with remaining dough.You may bake 2 rolls on a sheet. Bake 35 minutes.

Poteca #2

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Lightly grease one large baking sheet.
  3. Dissolve yeast in 4 tablespoons lukewarm milk. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir well and set aside.
  4. Cream 1 cup butter with 4 tablespoons sugar.
  5. Add egg yolks, one at a time.
  6. Add yeast mixture and mix well.
  7. Add 5 cups sifted flour, salt and 1 1/3 cup milk and beat well. Beat dough for 10 minutes or until bubbles form.
  8. Cover with flour and let rise 2 hours.
  9. Cut dough in half and roll out each half as thin as possible on floured board. S
  10. pread each half with melted butter, honey, raisins, walnuts and douse with cinnamon.
  11. Roll up like jelly roll, place on baking sheet, allow to rise and bake for one hour.

Arabic Sfoof

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Grease a 9 inch round baking pan.
  3. In a small bowl, mix semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, stir milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
  5. Add flour mixture and oil and beat with an electric beater at medium speed for 5 minutes. This step is essential, do not use any shortcuts.
  6. Pour into a prepared 9 inch round pan.
  7. Sprinkle top with pine nuts.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry.

Koulourakia (Greek Holiday Cookies)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  2. In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
  3. Beat in 2 of the egg yolks, one at a time.
  4. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the half and half.
  5. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mix and blend.
  6. To shape cookies, pinch of 1 inch balls of dough and roll each into a 7 inch strand.
  7. Bring ends together and twist, to form a twirled look to each one.
  8. Beat remaining egg yolk with remaining half and half and brush lightly over cookies and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  9. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. (tested: very good)

Koulouria (Greek Holiday Cookies)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Cream butter with sugar in an electric mixer, adding sugar slowly.
  2. Beat 20 minutes or until the consistency of whipped cream.
  3. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
  4. Take from mixer. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in 4 cups of flour sifted together with baking powder.
  5. Knead in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft non-sticky dough is achieved. If large eggs are used, a little more flour may be needed.
  6. Pinch off dough the size of a walnut and roll pencil thin, fold in half side by side and twist.
  7. Brush with beaten egg yolk and press sesame seeds on each piece.
  8. Place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 50 to 60 cookies (Source: Karen Brewer) (tested: very popular, especially with coffee)

Kourabiedes (Greek Holiday Cookies)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Sift flour with baking powder. Set aside.
  2. Cream butter and gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy.
  3. Add egg yolk, brandy and vanilla. Beat again until very light.
  4. Stir in almonds.
  5. Blend in flour mixture, mix to form a soft, smooth dough.
  6. Chill 30 minutes or until it can be handled easily.
  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
  8. Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into crescent-shapes. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  9. Insert whole clove into center of each.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until light...do not brown.
  11. Cool on rack. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar. (tested: very good, like a spiced butter cookie)

Smyrnian Cookies

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1.  Sift together flour and baking powder and set aside.
  2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
  3. Add 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each one.
  4. Add milk and flour. Work with the hands until dough is smooth.
  5. Add grated orange rind.
  6. Dough should be stiff so add additional flour if needed.
  7. Break off small portions of dough and roll out into pencil-size strips about 11 inches long.
  8. Fold each strip into thirds, sideways, and press lightly together at ends.
  9. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheet.
  10. Brush tops with beaten egg.
  11. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes. (Tip: I added 1 tbs of orange extract to strengthen the orange flavor.)

Melomacarona (Greek Christmas Cookies)

Ingredients:

For the Syrup 

For the Topping 

Procedure:

  1. Beat together first 4 ingredients.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder and soda together, several times to make sure they're mixed well.
  3. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the oil mixture and knead gently until even texture is acheived.
  4. Pinch off small portions of dough the size of an egg and form into little patties. Roll them to make oblong rolls.
  5. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Boil honey, sugar and water for 5 minutes.
  7. Pour syrup over melomacarona.
  8. Allow to soak for 15 minutes, take them out of the syrup and place on large plate.
  9. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and cinnamon. (tested: very, very good)

 

Melomacarona #2

Ingredients:

Syrup

Procedure:

  1. Using an electric mixer, beat the olive oil with the sugar.
  2. Add the orange juice.
  3. In  a separate bowl, mix  2 cups flour with the baking powder, and add to the oil and orange mixture.
  4. Beat with the electric mixer adding the brandy, semolina, orange and lemon peel, cloves, and cinnamon.
  5. Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and start kneading, adding more flour, to obtain a soft and elastic dough.
  6. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  7. Take tablespoonfuls of dough and shape into oval cookies about 2 1/2 inches long. Press them on the top with the back of a fork to mark them with horizontal lines.
  8. Place on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.
  9. Let cool on a rack overnight.
  10. The next day make the honey syrup. In a saucepan, mix the sugar, honey, and water and bring to a boil. Add the orange and lemon peels and simmer for 10 minutes.
  11. Remove from the heat. Place 2 or 3 cookies on a large slotted spoon and dip them in the syrup. Don't let them soak in it; they should absorb only a little syrup, and remain crunchy.
  12. Place layers of honey-dipped Melomakarona on a serving dish.
  13. Mix the walnuts with the ground cloves, and sprinkle over the cookies. Let cool completely before serving. They keep well for about 10 days.

St. Nicholas Cake (Russian)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Cream the butter and separate the eggs. 
  2. Add the room temperature yolks, one at a time, to the butter and beat well. 
  3. Mix in the honey. 
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices twice and add to the butter mixture.
  5. Whip the egg whites until stiff. 
  6. Fold a little of the egg whites into the batter, then add the rest of them, folding them gently into the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into a guttered and floured loaf pan. 
  8. Bake in a preheated 350 Degrees F. oven until firm on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. 
  9. Cool, in the pan, for 10 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Vasilopita (Greek New Year Cake)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, blend together the butter or margarine and the sugar.
  3. Separate 3 of the eggs; add the yolks and the 2 remaining whole eggs to the butter mixture.
  4. Stir in the vanilla and water.
  5. In another bowl, sift together the baking powder and flour.
  6. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
  7. Whip the egg whites until they are foamy. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Continue to whip the whites until they are stiff, but not dry.
  8. Pour the batter into a greased 10 x 4 inch tube pan.
  9. Wrap a large coin in foil, and place the coin in the batter.
  10. Press the coin down; it should be completely hidden.
  11. Sprinkle the nuts and seeds on top of the batter.
  12. Bake the cake for about 70 minutes, or until done. Cool on a wire rack. (Note: tested recipe...proved popular)

Another Vasilopita (Greek New Year Cake)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk.
  2. Add 2 cups of the flour, and beat batter until smooth.
  3. Cover and set in a warm place for about an hour.
  4. Beat eggs, salt, sugar and lemon rind (and mastika).
  5. Stir mixture into batter; add remaining flour and knead, adding gradually the melted butter, until smooth and elastic.
  6. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled its size - about 2 hours.
  7. Knead dough and put in a buttered deep round baking dish, about 12 inches in diameter.
  8. Cover and leave in a warm place until almost doubled.
  9. Brush with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, or garnish with blanched halved almonds.
  10. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.
  11. When cold, make a small cut underneath with a knife and insert the gold or silver coin.(tested: it takes extra time to rise, so figure 3+ hours for first rising)

Anoushabour

Ingredients:

At table:

Procedure:

  1. Wash barley well, place in a bowl and cover with 4 cups cold water.
  2. Soak overnight.
  3. Next day put barley, soaking water and cinnamon bark into a heavy pan and bring to the boil.
  4. Boil gently, uncovered, until barley is very soft and porridge-like in consistency -- about 2 hours.
  5. Remove cinnamon bark.
  6. Stir in sugar and cook for further 10 minutes. Turn into individual bowls and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
  7. Decorate with nuts and sultanas. Serve warm or chilled with additional nuts and sultanas, and rose water for adding to individual taste if desired.

 

Kutia (Polish Christmas Pudding)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Soak wheat in 2 cups of hot water for 30 minutes.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook covered until tender.
  3. Mix in poppy seed.
  4. Cook honey with remaining 2 cups of water for 20 minutes.
  5. Cool and serve with wheat and poppy seed mixture. For added enjoyment a liberal amount of festive spirits (vodka or brandy) may be added.

Kutia #2 (Polish Christmas Pudding)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Wash the wheat grain, leave to soak in cold water for 6 hours.
  2. Drain, then pour 2 l of boiling water over the wheat, cover and cook over a low heat for 3 hours. The grains should be soft but not mushy.
  3. Strain the cooked wheat and leave to cool.
  4. Wash the poppy-seeds thoroughly in cold water, scald with boiling water and drain.
  5. Pour boiling water over them, bring to a boil, remove from the heat and leave to stand in a warm place for 3 hours.
  6. Drain and mince.
  7. Soak the currants in rum or cognac.
  8. Cut the figs and dates into thin strips.
  9. Crush vanilla pod in a mortar.
  10. Pour the poppy-seeds into a mixing bowl, add cream, honey, vanilla and lemon peel.
  11. Grind for 15 minutes, then add the wheat, crushed walnuts and almonds, currants, figs and dates.
  12. Mix well and transfer to a glass bowl.
  13. Decorate with whole almonds and chill.

Slavic Medianyk (Christmas Cake)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Cream the butter and separate the eggs.
  2. Add the room temperature yolks, one at a time, to the butter and beat well.
  3. Mix in the honey.
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices twice and add to the butter mixture.
  5. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold a little of the egg whites into the batter, then add the rest of them, folding them gently into the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into a guttered and floured loaf pan.
  7. Bake in a preheated 350 Degrees F. oven until firm on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
  8. Cool, in the pan, for 10 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.