Modern Mincemeat Pie

For the filling: Place all ingredients except 1/2 cup cider and rum in large, heavy saucepan set over medium-low heat. Bring to boil and simmer gently, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until mixture thickens and darkens in color, about 3 hours, adding more cider as necessary to prevent scorching. Continue cooking, stirring every minute or two, until mixture has jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup apple cider and rum and cook until liquid in pan is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes; cool mixture. (Mincemeat can be refrigerated for several days.)

For the crust: Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; cut butter into flour until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if dough will not come together. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour, before rolling. (Dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

To assemble and bake the pie: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Roll dough on lightly floured work surface or between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to 9-inch pie plate by rolling dough around rolling pin and unrolling over pan (see illustration below). Working around circumference of pan, ease dough into pan corners by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into pan bottom with other hand. Leave any dough that overhangs lip of pie plate in place; refrigerate dough-lined pie plate.

Roll out second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle. Spoon mincemeat into pie shell. Following illustrations 2 through 5, place second piece of dough over filling. Trim edges of top and bottom dough layers to 1/2 inch beyond pan lip. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edge or press with fork tines to seal. Cut 4 slits in dough top. If pie dough is very soft, place it in freezer for 10 minutes. Brush egg white on top crust and sprinkle evenly with sugar.

Bake until crust is light golden brown, 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.