As simple as Karelian pies

Over 4 years into the cooking with celiac journey and this is the first time I’ve made karelian pies.

They are simple, delicious, and you can put anything inside though the traditional fillings are rice or mashed potatoes. They are also often eaten with a side of boiled eggs mixed with softened butter.

They came out great the first time I tried making them and that is a rare occasion so you should definitely give them a go!

Here is a quick recipe of karelian pies with mashed potatoes:

200 gr (7 oz) of Schar gluten free flour

~10 gr (0.35 oz) a neutral vegetable oil (like canola oil)

~20 gr (0.7 oz) water

1.Add water, mix the flour with your hands until a dough forms.

2.Add more water if it is too dry and more flour if it is too sticky. The consistency should be such that it doesn’t stick to your hands and you can roll it out easily. But, it should not be too firm as these will be rolled out quite thin and after the oven they may harden.

3.After you’ve made the dough, split it into 3 parts, roll out each part to 3mm (1/8 inch) thickness and cut circles with a cup.

4.For each dough circle, put your filling in the middle, mash it a little so it is flat and covers the middle part of the circle but not the sides.

5.Fold the two sides of the circle towards the middle and pinch the sides to form a wavy texture. Close the ends.

6.Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (392°F).

7.Bake for ~20 minutes until bottoms start getting a bit of color (not too much or the tops will burn).

8.Get out the oven. Prepare butter brush - melt a bit of butter and add water 1:1. Brush the pastries with the butter mixture.

9.Mash boiled eggs with softened butter (the butter should not be completely melted but slightly heated to make it easier to mix).

10.Top pastry with the boiled eggs and butter and enjoy!