Karelian Pies

How to make the rice porridge filling:

1. The rice porridge filling needs to be made first so it has enough time to cool down before spreading it on top of the dough.
2. To begin, fill a pot with water and boil it. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and the rice and a dash of salt and cook together until the rice absorbs most of the water (shouldn't take much longer than 5 minutes).
3. Pour in the milk and stir the mixture often as it simmers until the rice cooks through. This can take up to 1 hour, depending on the type of rice you use. When the it's done you should have a smooth, creamy textured pudding.
4. Set the pudding aside to cool while we work on the dough.

How to make the pastry crust:

1. In a bowl, mix together the rye flour, wheat flour and salt together until well-combined. Add the water gradually, mixing with a spatula at first, then knead with your hands until you get a smooth dough.
2. Now it's time to form the individual pies.
3. Take out a small portion from the dough and spread them out thinly on a floured surface using a rolling pin. You want to get an oval shape of about the same size as your palm. Remember that the thinner the dough the crispier it will be once it's baked!
4. Take about a spoonful or two (depending on how much filling you want the pastries to have) of the rice pudding filling, place it in the middle of the dough crust and spread it out in an even layer, but don't get too close to the edges!
5. Grab the two longer sides of the oval and fold them inward. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch at the folded edges from the center to the ends, to form the pleats that make up the signature shape of the Karelian pies.
6. Place the finished pies carefully on a tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Preheat the oven to 260° C/ 500° F.
8. Place them in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the porridge filling turns a nice golden brown color.
9. While the pies are baking, prepare the egg and butter spread.

How to make the Finnish egg and butter spread:

1. Boil the eggs for 8 minutes and rinse under cold water or place in an ice bath to cool them and make it easier to remove their shells.
2. Once the eggshells have been removed, you can either mash them finely in a bowl using a fork, or dice them finely with a knife, then combine it well with the softened butter.
3. Season with salt to your liking.
4. When you take out the pies from the oven, brush them with some butter and cover them with some baking paper to steam a little as they cool.
5. Serve topped with the egg and butter mixture and enjoy!