For dough
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk

For filling
1 1/2 cups cooked ham, finely diced
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bel Paese cheese, diced

For egg wash
1 large egg yolk, beaten

Equipment needed
Pie dish

For dough

Combine flour and salt in a bowl.

Cut in butter.

Beat eggs and milk together, add to flour, and work into a soft dough.

Knead dough for about two minutes.

Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other.

Roll out the first portion of dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick.

Line pie dish with the pastry dough.



For making pie

Combine the ham and the cheese; place in the pie dish lined with the pastry dough.

Roll out the remaining dough and place on top of the filling. Seal.

Prick the top of the pastry crust with a fork to let steam out.

Brush the top of the pastry crustwith the beaten egg yolk.

Bake at 425 degrees F. 10 minutes.

Reduce to 350 degrees F and bake until crust is golden -- about 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

The recipe in this entry was adapted from one published in, "Italian Cookbook" by Culinary Arts Institute (Chicago:Culinary Arts Institute, 1977). The cookbook can be borrowed for free from the on-line public library, www.openlibrary.org..... The following text about this style of "rustic" cheese pie, generally served for the Easter festivities, comes from Italian Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Machine google translation). Origins Other names Chiena Pizza , Stuffed Pizza Place of origin Italy Italy Region Campania Diffusion North Campania and Ciociaria Area of ​​production Naples and Caserta The canascione or 'chiena pizza (the pizza stuffed) is a salt composed of a rustic pie dough similar to pizza and stuffed with a filling of eggs , cold cuts (ham) and cheese (pecorino). Origins and curiosity It is a product of the gastronomic tradition is particularly common in the north of Campania (Naples and Caserta), and in Ciociaria . It is a typical recipe of the period Easter, subject to numerous regional variations as regards the filling, while the ingredients for the dough are identical in every place..... Original Italian text: "Canascione Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera. Canascione OriginiAltri nomi Pizza chiena, Pizza ripiena Luogo d'origine Italia Italia Regione Campania Diffusione Nord Campania e Ciociaria Zona di produzione Napoli e Caserta Dettagli Categoria antipasto Abbozzo cucina Il canascione o 'a pizza chiena (la pizza ripiena) è una torta rustica salata composta da una pasta simile a quella della pizza e farcita con un ripieno di uova, salumi (prosciutto crudo) e formaggi (pecorino). Origini e curiosità È un prodotto della tradizione gastronomica contadina, diffuso soprattutto nel nord della Campania (Napoli e Caserta) e in Ciociaria. È una ricetta tipica del periodo pasquale, soggetta a numerose varianti regionali per quanto riguarda la farcitura, mentre gli ingredienti per la pasta sono identici in ogni luogo." Photo: Mary Melfi.

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