Ingredients
1
medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2
tsp dried savory, crumbled
1
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3
tbsp cold vegetable shortening
2
tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Special equipment: a 3-inch round cookie cutter; a 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter (preferably maple*); 2 mini-muffin pans, each with 12 (1/8-cup) muffin cups
Accompaniment: spicy tomato cranberry preserves
Directions
2.
Cook pork with onion, garlic, savory, salt, allspice, and pepper in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently and breaking up lumps with a fork, until pork is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool filling completely.
3.
Make pastry while filling cools:
4.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
5.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in shortening and butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and stir with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 10 to 12 times. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a rough 18-inch round (1/8 inch thick), dusting with just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking. Cut out 24 rounds with 3-inch cutter and 24 leaves with leaf-shaped cutter. Make decorative lines on leaves with tip of a sharp paring knife.
6.
Fit each round into a muffin cup and fill with a rounded tablespoon of filling. Arrange leaves on filling.
7.
Bake pies until crusts are golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Lift pies out of muffin cups and transfer to a rack. Cool to warm, about 15 minutes.
9.
Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using.
10.
Pies can be assembled and baked 6 hours ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, uncovered. Serve at room temperature or reheat in preheated 350°F oven until warm, about 15 minutes.
11.
*Available at Sweet Celebrations (800-328-6722).
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