Mustikkapiirakka
Mustikkapiirakka celebrates one of Finland's most beloved summer ingredients — wild blueberries that grow abundantly in the northern forests and which, under Finland's "everyman's right" law, can be freely picked by anyone regardless of who owns the land. This tradition of free foraging means Finnish families often spend whole summer days gathering buckets of blueberries to preserve or freeze for the rest of the year. Finnish wild blueberries, smaller and more intensely flavoured than commercially grown ones, are considered superior for baking due to their higher concentration of flavour. The simple pie with a crumble topping represents the typically Nordic way of letting an excellent ingredient shine without unnecessary fuss, and it remains an essential summer dessert in Finnish homes, often made the very day the blueberries are freshly picked.
Wild blueberries
Wild forest blueberries from Finland, picked in summer
Shortcrust base
A thin, lightly sweet crust
Crumble topping
A crumbly layer of butter and sugar
Whipped cream
Classically served with cold whipped cream
Ingredients 4 servings
- 300 g blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 250 g flour
- 150 g cold butter, cubed
- 100 g sugar, plus 3 tbsp for the berries
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp cold water
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp potato starch
- Whipped cream for serving
How to make it
- 1Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl, then add the cold cubed butter and rub it in quickly with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- 2Add the egg beaten with cold water and mix just until the dough comes together, without overworking it.
- 3Divide the dough in two — a larger portion for the base and a smaller one reserved for the crumble on top.
- 4Refrigerate both pieces for 30 minutes, wrapped in cling film.
- 5Roll out the larger piece of dough and line a pie tin, pressing gently on the bottom and edges.
- 6Mix the blueberries with 3 tbsp sugar and the potato starch in a bowl, then pour evenly over the dough in the tin.
- 7Grate the smaller reserved piece of dough directly over the blueberry filling, forming a crumbly layer.
- 8Bake at 190°C for 35-40 minutes, until the crumble turns golden and the filling bubbles slightly at the edges, then let it cool before slicing and serving with whipped cream.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
