Bedfordshire Clanger (Cornish Pasties With Dessert)

I saw these made on television last night and the recipe really intrigued me. They were originally made by wives for their husbands to take to work out in the fields or mines. They are a whole meal-in-one pastry making them both sweet and savory. Maybe they are the original TV dinner LOL. The crust would be more authentic and tastier using lard, but taste better using the lard/butter combo. The wives would also make some of the pastry into letters and apply to the top of the clanger their husband's initials so they were easy to identify. They can be made with chicken as well.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 6 Large Clangers

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  lard (or 1/2 cup lard and 1/2 cup butter) or 1  cup shortening (or 1/2 cup lard and 1/2 cup butter)
• 1⁄2 cup cold water
• 1  tablespoon  oil, plus
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  oil
• 1  small onion, finely diced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 2 1⁄2 carrots, diced
• 1  rutabagas (a combination of the two is very good) or 1  potato, diced (a combination of the two is very good)
• 1⁄2 lb lean ground beef, and
• 1⁄2 lb ground pork (or 1 lb steak, cut in small pieces)
• 5  green onions, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  frozen peas
•  salt and pepper
• 1  cup  fruit  pie filling
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1  tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pastry: Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in lard or shortening until mixture is crumbly. Stir in water, mixing just until dough forms a ball. Place dough in refrigerator and make filling.
3. Filling: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Saute onions until soft. Add carrots, potatoes and/or rutabagas and saute for 10 minutes. Add Garlic and cumin, saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add ground beef, ground pork, and green onions to skillet. Saute until meat is just cooked through. Drain grease. Stir in frozen peas. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Divide dough into 6 portions and roll out each into 9" circles.
6. Divide the meat mixture between the pastry rounds and dot with some butter or margarine. At one end of the pastry add some of the fruit pie filling. Damp the edges, draw the edges of the pastry together to form a seam across the top and flute the edges with the fingers. Brush with milk.
7. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400°F for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.