Page 117 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat two muffin pans with cooking spray

and set aside.

2 Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl and stir

until the garlic is well distributed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in

the refrigerator until ready to use.

3 To make the hot water crust, sift the flour into a large bowl. Rub in

the butter until you achieve a texture like bread crumbs.

4 In a small saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil over

medium-high heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. When the
mixture is boiling, add the vegetable shortening and stir until melted.

Remove from heat. To avoid burns, use caution when working with

hot fats.

5 Pour the hot water mix into the flour mix all at once and stir quickly

until combined. It will create a shaggy dough. Overturn onto a floured

surface and knead until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough in
half, wrap one half in plastic wrap, and set that half aside.

6 Roll the remaining half into a 14” x 19” rectangle approximately ⅛
inch thick. Cut 8 (5-inch) circles from the dough and use them to line

the pans, using only every other well to leave adequate space for the

pie lids. There should be 6 pies in one pan and 2 in the other. Lightly
press any overhang down along the edge of the well.

7 Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and brush the inside and edges
of the lined muffin wells (this will seal the dough to help prevent

leaks). Evenly distribute the filling among the lined wells
(approximately ⅓ cup filling, packed, per pie), packing the filling

down tightly to prevent gaps.

8 Unwrap the remaining dough. Re-flour your surface and cut
another 8 circles. Use the back of a large piping tip to cut a hole in