Karelian Pies with Egg Butter (Karjalanpiirakka)

Ingredients

• 150 g short-grain rice
• 300 ml water
• 20 g butter (For the rice filling)
• 700 ml milk
• 100 g rye flour
• 50 g spelt flour or whole-wheat flour (Use spelt or whole wheat)
• 20 g salted butter (Melted; for the pastry)
• 80 ml water (For the pastry)
• 3 eggs (Boiled for 11 minutes, peeled, and diced)
• 120 g soft butter (For the munavoi egg-butter topping)
• salt (For seasoning the egg butter)
• butter (For brushing the baked pies; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine the short-grain rice and 300 ml water. Cook until the water is absorbed.

2. 2

   Add 20 g butter and the milk to the rice. Cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and creamy like rice pudding.

3. 3

   Make the pastry by combining the rye flour, spelt or whole-wheat flour, melted salted butter, and 80 ml water.

4. 4

   Knead the pastry, then roll it into a log. Divide it into 8 or 10 portions, depending on the desired number of pies.

5. 5

   Roll out the pastry portions. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper.

6. 6

   Fill each pastry round with the cooled rice filling.

7. 7

   Pinch the sides of the pastry around the filling.

8. 8

   Bake the pies at 500 for 14 minutes, until crisp and golden.

9. 9

   Boil the eggs for 11 minutes. Peel and dice them.

10. 10

    Combine the diced eggs with 120 g soft butter and season with salt to make munavoi, or egg butter.

11. 11

    Once the pies are baked, brush them with butter.

12. 12

    Let the pies cool before adding the munavoi topping.

13. 13

    Add the egg butter to the cooled pies and serve.

Notes

The source does not specify whether the baking temperature is Fahrenheit or Celsius; it only states “500.” The number of pies is given as 8 or 10, so serving count depends on the division chosen. The source also does not specify the amount of butter used for brushing the baked pies.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Finnish
• baked
• vegetarian
• rice
• rye
• savory pastry
• egg butter