Fanouropita

Saint Fanourios is one of the most beloved saints in the Greek Orthodox tradition, celebrated each year on August 27. His name comes from the Greek word fanerono (φανερώνω), meaning “to reveal” or “to make known,” and over the centuries he has become the saint people turn to when something—or even someone—needs to be found.

Very little is known about his life. Tradition tells us that his icon was discovered centuries ago on the island of Rhodes, among the ruins of an old church. The icon depicted Saint Fanourios as a young soldier holding a cross and surrounded by scenes of his martyrdom. Because his story had essentially been lost and then “revealed” through the discovery of his icon, his name became beautifully intertwined with the idea of finding what has been lost.

One of the sweetest traditions associated with the saint is Fanouropita, a simple fasting cake made in his honor. When something is lost, or when we are searching for guidance or an answer, it is customary to ask Saint Fanourios for his intercessions and bake a Fanouropita as an offering of gratitude. Traditionally, the cake is made with an odd number of ingredients—often seven or nine—and is taken to church to be blessed before being shared with others.

There is also a beloved folk tradition of praying for the soul of Saint Fanourios’ mother when making the cake. Her story is not part of the historical record of the saint, but the custom has been passed from generation to generation and has become inseparable from the Greek tradition surrounding Fanouropita.

Perhaps that is why Saint Fanourios continues to hold such a tender place in Greek homes. The tradition is about more than finding misplaced keys or a lost object. Sometimes what we are searching for is an answer, a path forward, a little hope—or simply the reassurance that what seems lost may yet be found.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 cups of orange juice (4 large oranges)

Zest of 1 orange

1 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of raisins

1/3 cup cognac/brandy (+ extra to soak the raisins)

1 cup sugar + 1 tsp to garnish

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the brandy. Finely chop the walnuts and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and clove.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar with the zest. Add the olive oil, whisk till the sugar has begun to dissolve. Add the brandy, cinnamon, clove.

Pour the orange juice into a tall glass and stir in the baking powder. It will foam upwards. Pour into the liquid mixture.

Little by little, add in the flour and whisk until combined. Add in the walnuts, the soaked raisin along with the brandy they were soaking in, and thoroughly mix.

Using a little olive oil, grease a springform pan, and dust it with a little flour. This will assist in a better rise of the fanouropita, so that you don’t get a dome in the center.

I usually bake it into a 9 inch springform pan, so the cake is a little bit taller. Today, I used a 9×13 pan instead. Same measurements. It just came out a little bit thinner.

Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes or until you can pierce it with a toothpick and it comes out dry.

Serve when room temperature and dust with powdered sugar.

Kali Oreksi!