English Cheese Pie

FILLING
1/2 c Cottage Cheese
1 c Heavy Cream
1/4 c Cream Sherry
3 Eggs; Large
2 Egg Yolks, Large
1/3 c Sugar; Granulated
2 tb Rosewater
1/2 ts Nutmeg; Grated
1/4 ts Cinnamon; Ground
1/4 c Currants; Dried

* DO NOT use margarine in this recipe.
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CRUST: Sift together the flour, salt and sugar into a medium-sized mixing
bowl. Add the butter to the flour all at once. Mix together until well
blended. Then add the shortening and continue to blend by cutting it into
the flour mixture. The mixture will begin to look like crumbs or small
pebbles. It will have the texture of oatmeal. Sprinkle the water over the
dough, distributing it evenly throughout. The dough will be come sticky
and cling together. Gather it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap.
Chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
When the pastry has chilled, roll it out on a pastry board to a thickness
of 1/8-inch. The easiest way is to roll the dough between 2 sheets of
waxed paper.
Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch pie
tin. Gently press it into the tin without stretching it. Use the excess
pastry to make flutes or cut away the excess with a sharp knife or
scissors. Prick the bottom of the pastry shell thoroughly to prevent
trapped air from bubbling the dough. Butter a sheet of aluminum foil and
place the foil down into the shell. Weight it down with weights or beans to
keep the crust from lifting up. Bake the crust for 7 to 10 minutes then
remove the weight and the foil. Return the crust to the oven and continue
baking for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
If you have difficulty rolling out the dough, do not reroll it; just patch
the tears or holes. Rerolling will make the pastry tough. FILLING: Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees F. Press the cottage cheese through a sieve. In a
small saucepan, gently heat the cream and the sherry until steamy, do not
allow it to scorch. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, egg yolks,
sugar, rosewater, and the spices until frothy — about 5 minutes. In a
large mixing bowl, beat the cottage cheese until it is smooth then add the
egg mixture and blend well. Add the hot cream and sherry slowly to the
cheese mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in the currants and pour
the mixture into the prepared crust. Bake for about 30 minutes, then allow
to cool. Chill and sprinkle with cinnamon.