THANKSGIVING WITH A NORTHERN TWIST

Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing by now, and we hope you’re enjoying the cheerful holiday mood already. We’ve shared some traditional recipes on our last blog post, and today we’re inviting you to try something slightly different. Our team members (or family, as we oftentimes say) and friends are sharing their seasonal favorites for you to experiment and enjoy.

Justė’s Curd Pie with Pears

Justė is the digital mind in our family, and she admits to be in love with Lithuanian fall mainly because of its mesmerizing color palette. Longer, chillier evenings encourage her to stay cozied-up at home, testing new recipes, revisiting favorite ones, and, of course, sharing her kitchen adventures with the most loved ones. This curd pie with pears is simplicity at its finest – easy to bake, it always creates a festive atmosphere. And those peeking pear stems always remind of birthday candles, don’t they?

In photo: Forest Green Chef Apron

What we’ll need:

For the crust:

– 250 gr flour
– 50 gr sugar
– 120 gr cold butter
– 1 egg
– 1 tablespoon ice-cold water

For the pears:

– 5-6 small, sturdy pears
– 300 ml water
– 50 gr sugar
– Generous pinch of vanilla

For the filling:

– 500 gr dessert curd
– 100 gr sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or a pinch of vanilla)
– 2 eggs

Let’s get going:

1. 1. Begin with the crust by stirring together flour and sugar. Add cubed butter and rub with your fingertips, until everything resembles coarse crumbs.
2. 2. Whisk the egg together with water and add to the crumbs. Mix well, until everything starts coming together. Knead the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. 3. In the meantime, peel the pears and, using a sharp knife, remove the cores, while keeping the stems intact.
4. 4. Bring the water to a boil, add vanilla. Dip in the pears and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Pears should remain quite sturdy.
5. 5. Take the pears out of the water, pat-dry, and allow to cool.
6. 6. For the filling, beat all the ingredients together with an electric mixer.
7. 7. Roll the dough into a disc and press it into your baking tin.
8. 8. Pour the filling and add the pears.
9. 9 Bake at 180 C for about an hour, until the pie slightly browns.

In photo: Thin Black Stripe Kitchen Towel

Laura’s cabbage pie

Laura is our dear friend and the architect of one our shops, and her creativity often extends to her kitchen. She’s sharing a very special – and quite unique – recipe with us today: her great-grandmother’s cabbage pie, which originated in Siberia. Once Laura’s mom came to Lithuania, she brought the recipe with her, and now it’s mostly Laura herself who bakes it. This pie is very filling and warming – perfect for the cold season, thus is mostly cooked through fall and winter.

In photo: Meerkat Tablecloth

What we’ll need:

For the dough:

– 200 gr butter
– 200 ml sour cream (30%-40% fat)
– 250 g kefir
– 25 tablespoons flour
– 0.5 teaspoon baking powder

For the filling:

– ½ small cabbage
– 3 eggs
– 1 medium onion
– Oil, salt, pepper, thyme, cilantro, curry (or any other seasonings you prefer)

– 1 egg for egg wash

Let’s get going:

1. 1. Start with the dough: melt the butter and pour it into a large bowl. Once slightly cooled, add baking powder, sour cream, and mix well. Add the kefir and stir again.
2. 2. Mix in 20 tablespoons of the flour. If the dough is still sticky, add the remaining flour little by little – the dough shouldn’t stick to your fingers, but shouldn’t be too hard, either.
3. 3. Leave the kneaded dough in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rest while making the filling.
4. 4. For the filling, thinly slice the cabbage. Boil in salted water for 10 minutes, or until slightly softens.
5. 5. Hard-boil the eggs.
6. 6. Chop the onion, then pan-fry until golden brown.
7. 7. Add in the softened cabbage, fine-cut eggs. Season with salt and pepper, add your chosen spices and herbs. Fry for another 10 minutes, until the filling is slightly browned.
8. 8. Preheat the oven to 250oC.
9. 9. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll one of the pieces to the size of your baking tray (the dough shouldn’t be to thin). Lay the dough into the tray, spreading the filling on top.
10. 10. Roll the second piece of dough and cover the filling. Pinch the edges of the dough sheets together.
11. 11. Using the end of your rolling pin, make a hole in the middle of the pie, so it could breathe while baking.
12. 12. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash.
13. 13. Bake until golden brown and serve warm. Goes really well alongside your favorite broth.

In photo: Meerkat Tablecloth + Natural Stripe Kitchen Towel

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