Karelian pasties

Karelian pasties are a traditional Finnish speciality. The origins are in the province of Karelia near the Finnish-Russian border. Usually they are served with a spread of egg and butter  "munavoi" but I prefer eat them plain or with other toppings.

KARELIAN PASTIES

Filling:

200 ml water
200 ml rice for porridge
1 litre milk
1,5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

Crust:

250 ml whole wheat flour
250 ml white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon syrup / brown sugar
200 ml water

Moistening :
100 ml milk
50 g butter

Start by boiling water and mixing rice. After 5 minutes reduce the heat and add milk. Let it cook for about 40 minutes, remember to stir the porrige now and then. In the end add salt and butter. Let the porrige cool.

Mix both flours and salt, add cold water, syrup and oil. Make the dough by hands and shape it into a smooth bar and divide it to 20 pieces. Roll them into balls and with a rolling pin flatten them into thin sheets (about 15 cm in diameter). Place them onto an oven tin on a baking paper.

Add 1,5 tablespoons of porrige on each cake and pinch the edges together with your fingertips.
Bake the pasties 275 C for 10 minutes, until the crust and the filling have taken brown colour.

For finishing moisten the pasties with hot milk and butter mixed together. Lay them on each other and round them in a kitchen towel. Best served room temperature but later conserve in the fridge.

Accompany pasties with fresh butter, ham, cheese and cucumber like me or as you want :)