Finnish Pasties Recipe
Ever since I was a child I have eaten Finnish Pasties! I have been wanting to put up my own Finnish pasties recipe for a while now, and I was finally able to do it this weekend. Pasties are just so delicious and combine veggies, meat, and a crumbly crust that when all combined together and topped with a little bit of gravy or ketchup, it just melts in your mouth.
Finnish pasties have a longstanding tradition in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where there are several Pasty stores and they are sold in many restaurants. Pasties are also available to purchase online and have shipped to your home. However, I think you will find that after making Finnish Pasties for the first time, they really aren’t that complicated- so you can just make them at home!
Even though these pasties are pretty filling, they are so good, that it really is hard to eat just one! Well good thing that you can easily double or triple this recipe for your large parties or potlucks, that way there will be plenty of pasties for everyone.
This Finnish Pasties Recipe is relatively easy to make once you get used to making the dough part!
Make sure when rolling out the dough that you use enough dough to ensure proper size of the pasty, and not to “over-fill” the pasties, otherwise they will leak out and crumble when baking.
Use a lot of flour when rolling out the dough so that it doesn’t get too sticky and make a huge mess.
The Finnish Pasty is practically an institution among some American Finns- so if you make this for a Finn you may be surprised by how excited they are to eat it!!!!!
Makes 6-8 medium sized pasties
Ingredients
Directions
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Begin to cut in shortening or butter with the flour using a fork until you achieve a crumbly appearance. You can also use a food processer to achieve this crumbly dough.
- Add cold water a little at a time and knead the dough with your hands until it pulls together into a small ball.
- Wrap ball in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Chilling will make the dough easier to roll out into pasties.
- Dice carrots, onion, and potatoes and put in a large mixing bowl.
- Break up turkey or beef into chunks.
- Add salt, pepper, paprika, and savory seasoning and stir together with a spoon or use your hands.
- To make each pasty, you will roll out the dough into around 10’’X 6’’ pieces. Make sure the dough isn’t too thick and use flour to prevent sticking to the counter.
- Spoon Pasty filling onto one side of the dough leaving around 1 inch free on the edge- then fold the other side over the top and use your thumbs to make the side of the pasty stick together.
- Cut off excess dough from the side and use a knife to cut three slots in the top of each pasty. (these are optional, and if freezing your pasties after baking, you may consider not doing this to help the pasties keep better in the freezer)
- Place on ungreased baking sheet and paint on the butter and egg mixture to the top of the pasty.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
- Serve topped with gravy and ketchup!
- Melt butter in a sautee pan and slowly stir in flour.
- Add milk, salt, and pepper a little at a time, until the gravy reduces down and thickens.
- Stir to prevent burning and sticking to the pan.
Notes
Finnish Pasties were traditionally eaten by copper miners in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan because they could keep for long periods of time and were easy to make in bulk.
When visting Escanaba Michigan in the U.P, be sure to visit Dobber’s Pasties and say hi to a few Yoopers 🙂 http://www.dobberspasties.com/
This made me very homesick since I am from Skandia, Michigan (outside of Marquette). I have eaten pasties all my life and I am going to make them again this weekend. Thanks
I hope you enjoy them, pasties are one of my favorites 🙂
The instructions do not specify to cook the ground meat first, so am I to conclude it is raw when mixed with the vegetables?
yes, that is correct- the meat is uncooked when it is placed in the pasty in the oven. it cooks inside the pasty.
no Rutabega?? scandalous!!
Have to include rutabaga
It’s my understanding that pasties originally came from Cornwall in England via Cornish miners, but the Finns, including my dad, of the UP sure adopted them and make their own. My aunt taught my mother. (and we did add rutabaga.)
You are right! I am always on the campaign to remind people that the Finnish Pasty is actually a Cornish pasty! I am both Finnish and Cornish. Please people, the Finns Claim this as theirs but it really is Cornish.
This has always been what I learned about them. The UP is certainly their home (and there are a generous amount of Finns there)
I have a Finnish Goaltender on my hockey team. He has never heard of a Pasty. They are definitely Cornish. Everyone in Cornwall eats Pasties and no one in Finland knows what they are
I love pasties! They are my favorite and I like to use ketchup with them. My mom always made them like a pie and so that’s what I do too. My husband, who is not from the U.P. loves them too!
Ketchup is for children. We forgave my mother for a pat of butter however au natural is the only way to go for a FIN or a child of the north.
I never ever ate a Pasty with Gravy. But I have eaten way too many while visiting up in Copper Country. Mostly homemade which are very delicious and some bakery purchased from Tony’s in Laurium, that are my favorite.
Ketchup usually of course, but gravy is really good on them!
My Finnish mom always made them with steak, potato, onion salt and pepper. Served with ketchup. Grew up in Duluth Minnesota !
My mother said the miners in Calumet would put these (wrapped in foil) in their lunch and they would still be warm when lunch came around. I have fond memories of chopping vegetables and crumbling meat. My dad loved lots of pepper on them. My mother would of course add rutabaga if we could find one at the store.
I was born in Winona Michigan back in 1939. Have eaten pasty my whole life. I make them at least once a month. Learned to do it from my mom who was 100% finlander
I use my Grandmothers recipe for crust.
1 cup lard
3 cups flour
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vingar
Pasties are not Finnish. They are Cornish pasties that were adopted from Cornish miners.