[Sca-cooks] Re: coffyns

[Micheal]

 My final thoughts on the matter no one elses, nor is anyone required to 
except  them.
 We do not have a solution on the question, simply opinions, as to how, and 
who made them. We do know they were used .
 This is what I used:
 Flour, lard, salt, egg, and water
 Blended flour and salt worked in the lard till it be came mealy added 
slightly higher then room temprature water to form a ball let it rest for 30 
min. Rolled it flat cut a circle the size of what I thought was right. Cut 
strips of dough, egg washed the edges and worked them on edge up from the 
bottom till I reached four of my fingers high. Why because it looks right. 
Baked for 15-20 min at 375 to set dough. Mixed flour and water paste and 
coated the  outside to fill in any gaps or separations worked from the 
bottom until smooth to the  top inside and out. Filled with stuffer . I 
formed ( of the same dough) a lid which fitted inside and crimped the edge 
to the sides while the paste was still damp. Put the whole thing into the 
oven at 375 and cooked until there was bubbles coming out the center pulled 
it out egg washed the entire outside except the bottom, replaced in oven. 
Tested with a thermometer to check internal temp and removed when done. If I 
had the ability to send photo`s I would looks like the painted raised pies I 
have seen in the natiional gallery.
 Ingredients
 5 cups of stone ground Bread flour non raising
 1 cup of spelt for looks
 1.5 cups lard
 3 teaspoons salt
  water to form ball added slowly
  1 egg to wash.

 I am stubborn it took twelve tries before I finaly came up with the above 
recipe.Fully knowing it maybe wright and it maybe wrong, but it worked for 
me. It is not easy get rid of 30 years of modernistic cooking styles. Some 
things you don`t even notice become habbit. But I learned an appreciation 
for the person in the pastry shop from hampton court to the lowly town 
bakery I didn`t have before. Even though I despised the fact they didn`t 
write it down. Isn`t that what its all about in the end.
 Da