The classic New Year's Eve dessert in Greece is called a Vassilopita- named for St. Vassilis (bearer of gifts), celebrated on the first day of the New Year. It's usually a tsoureki (challah)-like sweet raised cake. I love tradition, but a bread, no matter how buttery or delicious, is not a festive dessert in our household. We use the ocassion to make anything grand- usually an experiment- as long as it is round, and has a coin. Last year we did a Swedish Princesstorte with homemade marzipan (green!) blanketing a pillow of whipped cream on top of spongecakes sandwiched together with raspberry jam and brushed with rum syrup. Beautiful. Messy to cut.
This year's Vasilopita is also messy to cut. You won't mind- it is delicious. We made a trial so I could share it with you here. We sometimes have disagreements about tradition- this beautiful cake is showered with pomegranate seeds- bearers of good luck. The fruit is a symbol of good fortune for the New Year, and so this untraditional nod towards tradition makes a delicious and stunningly beautiful compromise. It is also very very simple.
We made a meringue shell. Then from the egg yolks left over- a classic creme patisserie, to be lightened later with whipped cream (this makes something called a creme chibouste- light and rich and a fine in everything and also fine in a goblet all by itself. If quality had a flavor, it would be this.) The top is heaped with the dazzling ruby seeds of good-luck pomegranates. It is several steps, but they are each simple, and can be done whenever it suits you best.
First the meringue- We will need:
4 egg whites
200 g/ 1 C sugar
a dash of vinegar
a pinch of salt
non-stick baking paper
Separate the eggs and set the yolks aside (putting them in a jar, covering them with milk, and storing in the refrigerator).
Beat the whites with an electric mixer until foamy, add the salt and vinegar, and continue beating, adding the sugar spoonful by spoonful, until the meringue s glossy and dense.
Line a baking sheet with the non-stick parchment. Mound the meringue into the middle, and, using your serving tray as a guide, spread it into as large a circle as the tray will accommodate, leaving a well in the middle and deep thick sides to hold in the cream and the fruit. We did not use a pastry bag for formal perfection but rather just a spoon, touching the surface and pulling u sharply to make spikes like a sea anemone- a fanciful Chihuly-inspired form to hold the glassy rubies that will fill the center. This took about 30 seconds, and was quite fun. if it for New Years, slipped a clean and foil-wrapped coin into the thick side and cover any trace it it.
A meringue does not bake so much as simply dry. Put it in the oven at a mere 90 C/ 200 F, or even lower of you have a dry day and plenty of patience. Leave it there until is is entirely dry on the surface and most importantly on the bottom, so it can be safely removed from the paper. This will take more than an hour, and maybe two. use the removable bottom of a tart pan to lift it safely and place it on a tray out of harm's way.
Make a creme patisserie of the yolks, Let chill, then lighten with 200 ml/ C heavy cream, whipped stiff, to make a creme chibouste.
Now we are ready to assemble and need only the pomegranate seeds- probably from two large fruits. They are an intricate fruit- thousands of ruby seeds in in clusters, separated by webs of membranes.
This easy trick frees them:
Fill a large bowl half full of water. Make a cut in a pomegranate, put it under the water and pull it apart:
Loosen the seeds from the white part with your fingertips; they will sink to the bottom and the membranes and outer shell will float- skim them off, fill the bowl with fresh water, and run your hands gently through the seeds to loosen the rest of the membrane. Skim these from the water's surface also, and drain the seeds in a wire strainer until completely dry.
A few hours before serving, assemble the dessert by piling the creme chibouste into the center, and covering the top thoroughly with a thick layer of the glittering seeds.
