Kalinnik: An old Russian village pie from grandma’s cookbook (RECIPE)
A few centuries ago, this berry pie was baked in cabbage leaves in order to give it an unusual pattern. Nowadays, the recipe has been modernized - it’s covered with chocolate and a condensed milk frosting, and with some nuts on top. Absolutely delicious!
The name of the pie, "Kalinnik", comes from its filling – viburnum (kalina in Russian). The berry grew in nearby forests and was readily available to everyone. Over time, housewives diversified the filling by adding apples.
In the old days, this pie was baked only from rye flour. Wheat flour was a luxury at that time and was something that only the rich could afford.
Here's what Vladimir Dahl, compiler of the 19th century dictionary, wrote about Kalinnik: “The hostess will wrap a pinch of viburnum in rye dough as a pie, straighten it, swaddle it with a dry cabbage leaf – and bake it on a baking sheet in a Russian oven. As soon as the bread begins to smell like a treat – open the oven, and take out the ready-made Kalinnik.”
Nowadays, the recipe has been rediscovered thanks to locals from the village of Novoe Berezovo in the Ryazan Region who passed down the recipe from generation to generation. They say that Kalinnik was prepared by their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Today, thanks to gastronomic festivals, this pie can be tried far beyond that village.
A modern variation of Kalinnik is a pie made of rye, wheat and bird cherry flour with a filling of viburnum jam, covered with a glaze of white chocolate and condensed milk. Previously, such a combination was not utilized in cooking. Kalinnik uses the whole palette of flavors: sweet, bitter, and sour. This makes the taste delicious and unforgettable.
Ingredients for one pie:
For the filling:
- Viburnum - 500 g
- Green apples - 400 g
- Sugar - 300 g
- Pectin - 6 g
For the dough:
- Butter - 130 g
- Sugar - 100 g
- Bird cherry flour - 30 g
- Rye flour - 50 g
- Wheat flour - 150 g
- Cream 33% - 50 g
- Egg - 2 pcs
- Baking powder - 5 g
For the glaze:
- White chocolate - 80 g
- Sugar - 70 g
- Condensed milk - 50 g
- Water - 40 g
- Glucose syrup - 70 g
- Gelatin - 6 g
For sprinkling:
- Roasted peanuts -120 g
Preparation:
1. Let's do the filling first. Peel the apples, cut them into small pieces, pour in a little water and bake at 180℃ for 30-40 minutes.
2. Clean the viburnum from the branches, rinse in water.
3. Fill the viburnum with sugar, put it on the fire and bring to a boil.
4. Mash the viburnum and baked apples with a blender.
5. Heat the viburnum with apples and add pectin, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Pour into a separate container and cover with cling wrap. The filling should stand in the refrigerator for several hours.
6. Let's prepare the dough. Pour the hot cream into the bird cherry flour and mix well.
7. Mix the butter (melted at room temperature) with sugar; then add eggs, bird cherry flour and beat again.
8. In a separate deep bowl, sift the rye and wheat flour and baking powder.
9. In a bowl with flour, add the butter and eggs beaten with sugar.
10. Using a pastry bag, pour the mixture along the mold’s edges, leaving a place in the middle for the filling (as shown in the photo).
11. Cover the filling with the remaining dough on top.
12. Bake it in the oven at a temperature of 150℃ for 40-50 minutes.
13. Now, let's cook the glaze. Pre-soak the gelatin in cold water.
14. Mix water, syrup, and condensed milk in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
15. Pour the hot syrup over the white chocolate in portions. Add gelatin and mix everything with a blender. Now, leave it to cool for at least a couple of hours.
16. For sprinkling, fry the peanuts until they’re ready; peel them. Take cooled and peeled peanuts, (or any nuts), and finely chop in any possible way.
17. Pour the icing on top of the cooled pie.
18. Let it freeze and then sprinkle the edges of the cake with peanuts.
19. Enjoy!
READ MORE: Russian ‘presnukha’: A rustic rye galette with cottage cheese (RECIPE)
