These Karelian rice pies are a very popular Finnish dish and who wouldn’t want boat of creamy rice topped with buttery chopped eggs?
We really liked these finished with a nice squeeze of lemon. Other Finnish variations include adding herbs to the rice or topping them with ham. Try these out and choose how you like them best!
I made mine with stone ground rye flour which looked dramatic, but was a bit too coarse. Finely ground rye is better and cutting it with some all purpose flour will yield a softer crust that’s easier to work with too!
*Naptime tip: Little hands can help roll dough rounds until they’re VERY thin.
Karelian Pies
Recipe slightly adapted from Finding Feasts
Ingredients:
For the rice-
300ml water
2.5 cups short-grain rice (like arborio)
1 liter milk (just over 4 cups)
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp salt
For the egg butter-
6 eggs, hard boiled
4 Tbs softened butter
Salt
For the crust-
300ml water
250g rye flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp salt
For the baste-
50g butter
4 tsp milk
Lemon juice, for serving
Method:
For the rice- Rinse the rice till the water runs clear.
Bring the water and rice to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add the milk and cook on a low simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring regularly. (Add more water if needed.)
Stir in the butter and salt then leave aside to cool.
For the egg butter topping-
Place the eggs in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil the eggs 2 minutes then remove from the heat and let them sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.
Drain, then run the eggs under cold water until they’re cool enough to handle. Peel and then mash them with a fork along with the butter. Season with salt then refrigerate.
For the dough- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Mix the flour and salt into the water then knead lightly to bring together and make a smooth dough.
2 Roll into a 2″ thick log and then divide the dough into 1″ pieces. Roll each piece of dough into super thin ovals, about 5×4″. Cover the disks with tea towel to avoid drying.
Once all the dough is rolled out, place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled rice filling onto the center of each round. Flatten the filling slightly. Fold up the sides of the dough onto the edge of the filling, pinching as you go, to create a crimped edge.
Place the pies on lined baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
Make the baste by melting the butter with the milk.
Once the pies are cooked and out of the oven, liberally brush the baste over each pie and then cover with a lined tea towel for about 5 minutes. This softness the pointy crimped edges.
Top your warm Karelian pies with the cool egg mixture and a nice squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
Naptime Prep Cook 