Kokurki: Russians bake these little pies with Easter eggs (RECIPE)
Different regions of Russia have their own recipes for ‘kokurki’; for example, in the Volga region people bake them with boiled eggs left over after Easter. Volgan ‘kokurki’ turn out to be hearty and delicious.
Kokurki are little pies made from simple dough with fatty sour cream. The name of the dish, kokurki, probably came from the word kokur - which meant small coin.
Kokurki are known in Russia as biscuits without any filling, but the most interesting version by that name are pies filled with a whole egg. This recipe was prevalent mainly in the Volga region.
More often rye flour was used for kokurki since it was widely available in village households. Thanks to the rye flour, the eggs didn't spoil for several days. They were taken on trips or to the fields by peasants. This is a simple and nutritious dish, and such kokurki were also cooked throughout the year, not only after Easter. Today, it’s more of a gimmick in Russian cuisine than a popular recipe, but lovers of old recipes still use it.
For kokurki I used a mixture of rye flour and wheat flour that’s more common these days. This makes the dough taste softer and more delicate. The crème fraiche with 30% fat was perfect as a sour cream.
The patties come in a firm crust. I like to dip them in sour cream or eat them with milk. You can also serve them with soup as an appetizer, with greens, fresh or pickled cucumbers, or take them with you on a picnic - they'll be even tastier outdoors.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
- Boiled eggs - 6 pieces
- Rye flour - 70 g
- Wheat flour - 130 g
- Sour cream (crème fraiche, 30% fat) - 200 g
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Water - 5 tbsp (if needed)
- Butter for greasing - 30 g
Preparation:
1. Mix the two types of flour and salt.
2. Add the sour cream and mix in the processor until the dough comes together. I also added 5 tbsp of water.
3. Roll the dough into a ball and cover with cling film and leave for 30 minutes.
4. Divide into 6 pieces and make into balls. I only had 5 eggs, so the photo shows 5 pieces. This is enough dough for 6 patties.
5. Roll out each ball. Place a hard-boiled egg in the center and seal it so that there’s no air between the egg and the dough.
6. Cut off the excess dough around the edges.
7. Pinch the edges together.
8. Preheat the oven to 180℃.
9. You can brush the crusts with egg yolk to make them ruddy. I left them so that I could butter them later - this makes the dough even crispier and more aromatic.
10. Bake for about 30-35 minutes.
11. Brush the crusts with melted butter while they are still hot. Serve warm or cooled with soup, or with sour cream or herbs.
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