Fanouropita - Lost and Found

 Lost and found .  I've written about this cake before.  It is called a 'Fanouropita, the Pie of Agios Fanourios' because it is baked in the name of Saint Fanourios who finds lost objects. His name means 'the one who reveals'. It is also baked during Lent and other fasting periods in the Orthodox church because it has no eggs or dairy .

                            

This is a new, to me, recipe.  We were given a piece while having coffee at our favourite T-Cafe on the waterfront and I asked for the recipe.  This one is from Agios Oros,  Mount Athos, the peninsular in northern Greece with 20 Orthodox monasteries where females are forbidden to tread.

First you ask the Saint to open your eyes so you can find your lost object and when it is found, to thank the saint,  you bake the cake and share it with friends and neighbours. Before you eat your slice of cake you must send a prayer so the soul of the mother of St. Fanourios may be saved.  Legend has it that she was sent to hell for living such a shameful life.

   On the fiesta of the saint housewives bake this 'pie' and take it to church to be blessed before being cut up and passed around.  His fiesta is 27th August.

Traditionally the recipe has either *7 or *9 ingredients

1 water glass of oil (180ml) - olive oil or some sort of vegetable oil

3 water glasses (350grams) of self-raising flour 

1 extra tsp baking powder

1 water glass (170grams) of sugar

1 glass of orange juice (200ml) plus the zest

half a glass (100 grams) of chopped walnuts

half a glass of raisins (about 100 grams)

1/2 teaspoon clove (powdered)

1 tsp cinnamon

This can be mixed in a bowl by hand.

Beat the oil and the sugar together . Pour in the orange juice and zest.

Add the self-raising flour, cloves, cinnamon, walnuts and raisins.

Oil a cake baking dish.  It doesn't need to be over oiled because of all the oil in the cake mix.  I also read somewhere to sprinkle sesame seeds over the oiled pan and on top of the cake mix for a change.

Pre-heat the oven to 170oC and bake from 40-60 minutes depending on your oven.  In my oven 40 minutes is fine.

Dust with icing sugar.  When cold, cut and hand around.  It's a crumbly cake so have a spoon ready to scoop up the crumbs.

A monk from one of the Monasteries says to cut it into 40 pieces but this  recipe makes a small cake.  They must have huge baking dishes in these monasteries, big enough to feed all their Male visitors.

*7 for the Holy Sacraments 

*9 for the 9 Angelic choirs 

Whatever your religion give it a try. It's a vegan cake and you never know you might find that elusive 'thing' that disappeared like a sock in the washing machine.