The celebration of Saint Fanourios is approaching, a time when we traditionally make fanouropites (Saint Fanourios’ pie). Here, we provide all the useful tips you need to succeed, even if you’re a beginner

Each year, on August 27th, the memory of Saint Fanourios is celebrated, and the tradition calls for making pies in his honor—fanouropites. These pies are blessed and distributed in the church either on the evening before the feast during the vespers or on the morning of the feast following the celebratory service. Many people make these pies to help “reveal” a lost item or person, or for any other need they wish to ask of the Saint. However, some make them regardless of the feast or season, because they are very delicious and light, being made with oil and orange juice rather than eggs and butter.

Whether you make them every year or have never tried them before, we encourage you to attempt to make one this year. It’s an easy and very tasty pie that resembles a fragrant, airy cake. Since it’s not a traditional egg-based cake, it requires a bit of care in its preparation. We consulted Georgía Kofiná, an educator and food researcher who specializes in traditional dishes, for her helpful advice:

• Since this is a traditional dish, fanouropita is not baked in a cake pan, nor is it inverted. It is either cut or served directly from the baking tray.
• You can replace the vegetable oil with light olive oil to be closer to the authentic traditional fanouropita. Alternatively, use 50% vegetable oil and 50% olive oil.
• If you use a mixer, add the flour gradually and mix only as much as needed to incorporate it into the wet ingredients. Over-mixing can make the pie tough or crumbly.
• Bake it on the second-to-bottom rack of the oven, using the bake setting rather than convection, to ensure the bottom bakes evenly and the top does not over-brown.
• If using raisins, toss them with a bit of flour before adding them to the mixture. This prevents the raisins from sticking together and ensures they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Good luck!