Brown Rice Piirakka
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice, uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups milk
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup water
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup unbleached white flour
- 1 1/2 cups rye flour
- To make the filling, in a medium saucepan, combine the rice with the cup of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the milk and three tablespoons of the butter and reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy, adding more milk if necessary.
- This will take about one-and-a-half hours.
- Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Season with the salt and pepper and let cool.
- To make the pastry, combine the melted butter, water, salt and white flour in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
- Stir in the rye flour and mix until the dough is stiff and compact.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about five minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to one hour, if desired.
- To assemble the piirakka, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Divide the dough into four pieces, and divide each piece into four balls.
- Roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface to form a five-inch circle.
- Place three tablespoons of the filling on each circle, spreading it to within one inch of the edge.
- Fold the uncovered edges of the dough over the filling, crimping them to form an oval-shaped pastry, but leaving the center of each one open.
- Make a glaze by melting the remaining butter with the half-and-half, stirring occasionally.
- Place the pastries on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with the glaze.
- Bake for five minutes, then brush again with the glaze and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until golden.
- Brush once more after removing the pastries from the oven.
- Serve warm or cold with buttered egg salad.
shortgrain brown rice, water, milk, unsalted butter, salt, unsalted butter, water, salt, unbleached white flour, rye flour
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2659 (may not work)