Karelian Pasties (Karjalanpiirakat)
Photo: Jarno Elonen, Public domain
Karelian pasties are thin rye shells filled with creamy rice porridge, a Finnish staple that began in North Karelia. The dough is a simple mix of rye and wheat flour that you roll very thin, so the crust bakes dark and crisp at the edges. Brushing the hot pasties with milk and butter and resting them under a towel softens them. Topped with egg butter (munavoi), they make a plain, satisfying snack.
Instructions
Stir the rice into the boiling water and boil until the rice has absorbed the water. Pour in the 900 ml of milk, lower the heat and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the porridge is thick. Stir in 1½ tsp salt and let the porridge cool.
Mix the rye flour, wheat flour and the second 1½ tsp salt into the cold water. Knead until the dough is smooth and pliable, then shape it into a block and cut it into about twenty pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, press it into a small disc and cover the discs with plastic so they do not dry out. Roll each disc into a thin circle about 17 cm across.
Spread some of the cooled rice porridge in an oblong strip down the middle of each circle. Fold the edges over the filling and crimp them with your fingers to form a crust.
Bake the pasties at about 250 to 300°C for about 15 minutes, until the crust is browned.
While they bake, heat the 100 ml of milk with the 50 g of butter until the butter melts. Brush this over the hot pasties, stack them and rest them under baking paper and a towel to soften the crust.
For the egg butter, beat the softened butter with the chopped eggs, plus the optional ¼ tsp salt and cottage cheese if you like. Spread it over the pasties before eating.
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