Making the Easter Pies

Today was Easter Pie Day!

As I mentioned in a previous posting, I usually have my granddaughter, Madeleine, with me but
it was not looking promising this year with her classes and work schedule.  Since the families
from New York are coming, I didn't think I would be able to make these and also be out and about
with them, so I am going to freeze these pies and hope for the best!

We will have these Easter Sunday before, during and after our Easter Dinner!  Then each family
will also have a pie to take to their own homes.

Yesterday and last night I made the dough, diced the mozzarella, pepperoni, ham, cooked the
sausage and hard-boiled the eggs.

Today was rolling the dough, combining the filling, lining the pans, filling them, topping them with another crust  and baking them off.

Here is the recipe for our Easter Pie:  this makes 4-5 pies, depending on how full you fill them

Dough:
*make in mixer, NOT in processor
6 cups all purpose flour
1 t. salt
1-1/2 c. Crisco (not flavored)
6 eggs, well beaten
4-5 T. cold water to make soft dough

Put flour and salt in mixing bowl and stir.  Add Crisco and mix til blended.  Add half the beaten
eggs and mix.  Add remaining eggs and the water.  The dough should be soft and pliable.  Wrap
in saran and chill.

Roll dough thin and line pie pans.  Brush bottoms with beaten egg white.  Chill.

Filling:

2 lb. ricotta cheese
8 raw eggs, well beaten
12 hard cooked eggs
1-2 lbs. ground sausage, cooked and drained and cooled (I use 2 lbs. as my family likes a lot of sausage)
2-1/2 lbs. cooked ham, small dice
1/2  lb. mozzarella, small dice
1/2 lb. pepperoni (remove casing and dice)
1 c. fresh parmesan, finely grated
fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and divide among pie plates.  Each pie will probably take about 4 cups filling.  Roll dough
thin and top each pie.  Brush with egg yolk with dash salt.  Make slits for vents in top crust.  Bake
at 375* about one hour.  Pies should be golden brown.
2017 costs:  about $12.00 per pie

Bottom left pie has an S on top to indicate pie with no hard cooked eggs for son-in-law, Sean.