Today, I had a sudden craving for a Finnish rye pastry with rice porridge filling and egg butter (Munavoi) – which is exactly what it sounds like – on top. Karjalan piiraka, as it is known, is a simple, hearty, but delicious food from the Karelian region of Finland. I ate them frequently during dark days of studying at the University of Joensuu many years ago.
Maybe the fact that it is currently freezing (though warmer than in Finland), overcast, and I am working on what feels like homework is what brought them to my thoughts today. Whatever the reason, I think it’s time to attempt making them, and making them in gluten-free form, at that.
I searched the web for a recipe as soon as the craving hit. Quickly, I ran across a blog called Melánger, written by Julia – someone who explores cooking through cultures. She had some gorgeous pictures of her attempt at making Beatrice Ojakangas’ recipe from the The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. I remembered that I have a cookbook – Scandinavian Feasts – by the same author given to me by some dear friends in Joensuu. Her recipe in the latter of the two books served as my inspiration.
A couple of notes on my recipe: First of all, I decided to use buckwheat and sorghum flours to give the crust an earthy taste, much like the rye would offer. To help the crust hold together properly, I use a bit of xanthan gum and MLO-brand brown rice protein powder. I also then throw the dough into the fridge – this makes it easier to work with (read: less sticky) later.
Gluten-free Karjalan Piirakkat Recipe
Makes about 16 pastries and one cup of egg butter
Total time to make – a couple of hours start to finish, but you can make each of the components quickly in advance and then return to making the pastries when you are ready.
Filling:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white rice
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups rice milk
Pastry:
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- ¼ cup sorghum flour
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 Tbsp brown rice protein powder
- 2/3 cup water
- (mix/refrigerate for ½ hour)
Baste:
- ½ cup rice milk, heated to boiling
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy butter substitute
Egg Butter:
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 3 Tbsp non-dairy butter substitute, softened
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
For Filling: Boil water and rice until water water is absorbed. Add salt and milk (note: I used 1 cup rice milk and 1 cup So Delicious brand unsweetened coconut milk for the extra fat – it does not add a coconut flavor). This will take about an hour and should resemble a creamy porridge when done. Set aside to cool.
For Pastry Dough: mix together all dry ingredients thoroughly. Add in water, stir, and then knead briefly by hand to make a stiff dough. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Note: this will make it easier for you to roll the pastry out later on.)
For Baste: Heat butter and milk until hot. (I forgot to boil them on the stove and popped them into the microwave in a little pyrex bowl for 2 minutes instead.)
For Egg Butter: Crumble eggs into pieces, mix in softened butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Put in the refrigerator.
Making the pastries
Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F.
Roll chilled dough into a evenly shaped tube. Cut into 16 equal-sized pieces. Roll pieces one at a time between sheets of wax paper. Peel one side of paper away and use a spatula to coax the dough off of the other sheet.
Place dough onto ceramic baking tray or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Add a tablespoon or so of the rice filling and use your fingers to pinch the sides of the pastry together around the rice. Repeat until you’ve covered your baking sheet; put remaining dough into refrigerator until you are ready to make the next batch.
Baste the pastries with the butter/milk mixture and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden at the edges.
Let cool on wire rack. Brush with baste again, if you like. Crust will soften a bit as the pastries cool.
When ready to serve, top with a spoonful of egg butter.
Personally, I like the piirakkat best after they have cooled down for a while and the flavors settle in, but they are also tasty hot out of the oven.