Easter Meat And Cheese Pie Food

EASTER MEAT AND CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough:Combine 1 2/3 cups of the flour with 2/3 cup cold water, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed to make a batter. Add the butter and mix until it is absorbed into the batter and the batter is thinner and stickier. Gradually beat in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that cleans the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. To make the dough by hand. Stir 1 2/3 cups of the flour, 2/3 cups water, the yeast and salt together to make a batter. A tablespoon at a time, stir in the butter, stirring until the butter is completely absorbed into the batter. The batter will be sticky. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that is too stiff to stir. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more dough as needed, to make a soft, supple, and elastic dough, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Gather the dough into a ball. Place in an oiled medium bowl and turn to coat the dough with oil, leaving the dough smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• To make the filling: Roughly cut the individual stacks of sliced meats into ½-inch dice-each piece should be about 3 or 4 slices thick. (I find that the chopped sliced meat is easier to eat than the unsliced cubes of meats that some people use.) Mix the basket cheese and ricotta together in a large bowl. Add the meats, cheese mix and parsley and mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, but go light on the salt because the meats are salty. Beat in the eggs and mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter the inside of a 9½-inch springform pan.
• Punch down the dough. Place on lightly floured work surface and cut into two pieces, two-thirds for the bottom and one-third for the top of the pie. Roll out the larger piece of dough into a 16-inch-diameter round. Fit the dough into the pan, letting the excess dough hang over a bit the edge, stretching the dough as needed and filling in any thin spots or holes with dough trimmings. Add the filling to the pan. Fold the overhanging dough into the pan onto filling. Roll out the remaining dough into a 9-inch-diameter round. Lightly brush the exposed dough around the edge of the filling with the egg glaze. Center the round of dough over the filling. Pierce a cross in the top of the dough. Brush the top lightly with the egg glaze. Place the pan on a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and a small knife inserted into the filling for 5 seconds comes out hot, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer the pie to a wire cake rack and let cool for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cooled, at least 3 hours or up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
• Remove the sides of the pan, cut into thin wedges, and serve at room temperature.

EASTER MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time while mixing on low speed. Stir in mozzarella, ham, salami, and prosciutto until all ingredients are well combined. Line two 9 inch pans with pastry. Spoon half of mixture into each pan. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over each pie, then cover with top pastry. Crimp edges and cut steam vents in tops.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until crust is golden brown. Cool on racks.

EASTER PIE

Steps:

• Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.
• Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.

ITALIAN EASTER PIE /PIZZA RUSTICA (AKA "HAM PIE")

Steps:

• Directions for making and using the yeast dough crust: In a cup, mix yeast and warm water together.
• Place flour on a pastry board, add leaf lard (or butter), salt, pepper and yeast/water mixture.
• Work together well until dough forms, continue working the dough until it is elastic and smooth.
• Place dough in a deep dish, cover and allow it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
• When dough has risen, cut into 2 pieces.
• Stretch one piece to fit into a greased 9 x 2 1/2-inch round cake pan.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• After filling the dough lined pan, stretch second piece of dough and place over the filling, pressing the edges closed.
• If there is a lot of excess dough left on the edge, carefully trim some, but leave enough to flute the sealed edge.
• (I like to brush the crust with a bit of beaten egg before baking, to give it a gloss.) Directions for using a regular pie crust dough: Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare pastry and line a 10 inch pie pan.
• Prick dough with a fork, and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
• Prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• Pour mixture into pastry lined pie tin and cover with top crust.
• Leave about a 1/2 to 3/4-inch overhang.
• Fold dough under and back, and flute edge.
• Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Directions for making the Filling: Cut sausage into small pieces (or remove from casings and crumble), place in frying pan and brown lightly in 2 Tablespoons of water.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, salt and pepper; add eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• Add cooked sausage, prosciutto, ham, parsley and grated cheese to ricotta mixture.
• Blend well.
• Fill dough lined pan with mixture.
• Directions for Baking: For Regular Pie Crust: Bake the pie for 15 minutes in preheated (400°) oven, lower oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 45-50 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and let pie "settle" for about 10 minutes before slicing if you are going to serve it warm; otherwise let pie cool and refrigerate when cooled.
• Pie can be served either warm or cold.
• Slices can be reheated in the microwave.
• For Yeast Dough Crust: Bake the pie in a preheated 375°F oven for 45-50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let pie "settle" for about 10 minutes before slicing if you are going to serve it warm; otherwise let pie cool and refrigerate when cooled.
• Pie can be served either warm or cold.
• Slices can be reheated in the microwave.

EASTER PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Put flour, cheese, salt, and pepper, in the bowl of a food processor; pulse several times to combine. Add butter and shortening; process until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the dough just holds together.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough in half, and form each piece into a flattened square. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour or overnight before using.

BARRA'S TRADITIONAL ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Steps:

• CRUST PREPARATION: Mix flour and salt together, cut in shortening with 2 knives or pastry cutter.
• Add beaten eggs to flour mixture slowly, incorporating very well.
• Add milk (additional liquid if necessary) to hold mixture together as it is kneaded.
• Shape pastry into two balls.
• Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to begin making the pie.
• PREPARATION FOR FILLING: Remove the sausage meat from the casings; set aside in small bowl.
• In another small bowl, place all the mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; set aside.
• In another small bowl, place all the provolone, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; set aside.
• Do the same for the ham and salami and proscuitta; set aside keeping all the ingredients separate.
• Boil dozen eggs; cool, peel, cut into quarters and set aside.
• Make EGG WASH:In a blender, add 10 eggs, parsley, 1/2 cup grating cheese.
• Blend; set aside.
• This will be used between layers of ingredients as the"holding agent" to keep all the ingredients together.
• TO ASSEMBLE PIE: Roll chilled pastry on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Make into 2 large circles to fit into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate and to cover.
• Better to do this in glass; it cooks more evenly and you can see if your bottom has fully cooked.
• Fit the pastry into the pan and up the sides.
• Begin by layering the quartered hard boiled eggs as the first layer on bottom, about 1-inch apart from eachother.
• In between each quartered slice of egg, with your fingers, place a small piece of sausage meat; going around the whole first layer of the pie.
• Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese all around.
• Next, a thin layer of mozzarella; (one piece high), Next a thin layer of proscuitta; Next a thin layer of provolone cheese; Next a thin layer of salami; Next a thin layer of boiled ham.
• Pour 1/2 cup of your egg wash over the first layer.
• Begin again with your quartered eggs; alternating the quarters"in between" the quarters of the first layer.
• Layer each ingredient as you did on the first layer and so on.
• Proceed with your second layer; again egg wash poured over the layer, etc.
• Depending on the depth of the pie pan, the size of your cut ingredients, you may have two or three layers, but don't fill it beyond the rim of the dish.
• Cover the last layer with another piece of pastry dough and crimp together firmly"gluing" if necessary to keep things together as the pie expands.
• Cut a steam hole on top and brush pastry with a tablespoon of milk (just to enhance the beauty of this meal for presentation) to form a glaze.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for one hour or until the pie crust is golden on the top and ingredients are bubbly.
• The aroma will tell you the pie is done!
• If you filled the pie too much with egg wash or ingredients, it may boil over.
• It is a good idea to place a sheet of aluminum foil beneath the pie in the oven to catch any drips.
• Serve the pie warm.
• Keep Refrigerated; leftovers can be reheated nicely in a toaster oven or a microwave for 1 minute.

GRANDMOM MARINO'S EASTER MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Tear the ham and salami into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese, egg and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Press one pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate and fill with the meat mixture. Cover with the other pie crust and press the edges together to seal. Cut a few slits in the top to vent steam.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden brown and filling is set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before serving.