Grandma's Design

KARELIEN PIES

GRANDMA

Liisa

COUNTRY

Finland

ORIGIN

Ruokolahti

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

2 dl water
2 dl rice porridge
1 l milk, 1 tsp salt
a dash of cream
1 egg

Dough:

2 dl water
2½ dl wheat flour
2½ dl rye flour
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

HISTORY

Originally, karjalanpiirakka were baked in Finnish Northern Karelia and areas of Ladogan Karelia and Border Karelia, which were lost to Russia in WW2. During and after the war, inhabitants from the lost Karelia were re-housed across Finland, spreading the tradition throughout the country.The dough was originally made using rye flour. When wheat became more common in Karelia, wheat flour was mixed with the rye. The only other things that are used are water and salt. Using a special rolling pin, the dough is rolled into oval pies and filled with barley, rice or potato porridge. The dough is gathered around the filling covering the edges, but leaving it exposed in the middle. The pies are baked in a very hot oven and served with egg butter and coffee, or as a snack.

More Minus

HOW TO

Filling: Prepare the rice porridge well in advance so it may cool down. Bring the water to the boil and add the rice and cook until the water is absorbed. Add milk and let it simmer until cooked. Add the cream and season with salt.Dough: Mix the ingredients and knead into a solid dough.Baking: Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1 cm. Cut into round cakes with a glass. Roll each piece into a thin round crust.Add one egg into the cool rice porridge. Fill the centre of each crust with a thin layer of rice porridge. Fold the edges of the crusts and pinch tightly with your fingers to form oval-shaped pies.Bake on a baking sheet at 300°C for 15 minutes. Brush with a mixture of butter and water. Cover with a kitchen towel.