Finnish Mushroom Pie
A rich vegetarian lattice pie of onions, mushrooms, thyme and cream cheese in a tender sour cream crust, baked at 400°F until puffy and golden.
From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family. She adapted it from the cookbook Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant.
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Sandra Mills adapted this Finnish mushroom pie from the cookbook Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, and wrote in her book that the comments she has received so far include "the best food I have ever tasted." She also warns that it is definitely not a dish for a low cholesterol diet!
Eight cups of mushrooms cook down with onions and thyme and are bound with cream cheese, then baked under a woven lattice of flaky, buttery sour cream pastry. Serve it as a vegetarian main course or a rich side. Her last word: enjoy the compliments!
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 8 cups of chopped mushrooms (about 3 two-inch mushrooms per cup)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup sour cream
Glaze
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk
Instructions
- Cook the onions. Melt the butter in your largest skillet and cook the onions until soft and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme and keep cooking until the mushrooms give up their juices. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the cheese. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and stir it in until melted. Take the pan off the heat while you make the crust.
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Make the crust. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Work in the butter with a mixer, food processor or two knives until the mixture looks evenly crumbly. Stir in the sour cream to make a soft dough, dust it well with flour and shape it into a ball.
- Line the dish. On a well-floured board, roll out about two-thirds of the dough to line a 10-inch deep pie plate. Fill with the mushroom mixture.
- Lattice top. Roll the rest of the dough about 1/4 inch thick, cut it into 1-inch strips and weave them into a lattice over the filling. Tuck the strip ends under the bottom crust, pinch to seal and flute the edge.
- Glaze and bake. Brush the pastry with the egg and milk glaze. Bake 25 to 35 minutes at 400°F, watching closely, until the crust is puffy and golden brown.
Tips
- The lattice takes a bit of work, as Sandra notes, but it is well worth it. A plain top crust with a few slits also works.
- Cook the mushrooms until most of their liquid has evaporated so the bottom crust stays crisp.
More vegetables and side dishes
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