3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast or 2 ¼ ounce cake fresh yeast dissolved in ¼ cup lukewarm water
⅓ cup shortening, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1 cup warm beer (110-115°F)

Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast mixture in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until crumbly. Add egg and stir well. Gradually add the warm beer to form a soft dough. Knead for about 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.

Punch down dough and divide into sixteen equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten it out on a lightly floured surface into an oval shape about ¼ inch thick. Fill with your desired filling (see below for ideas), fold over and seal the edges by pressing firmly together. Place seam side down onto greased baking sheets and let rise again, covered, until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake beerocks for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce!

CARIBBEAN PATTY FILLING:

½ pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced (or substitute milder chili)
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt to taste

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned; drain excess fat. Add onion, green onions, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, and curry powder. Cook for about 5 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt to taste. Use this filling to stuff the beerocks before baking according to dough recipe instructions above.

SPINACH PIE FILLING:

1 pound fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
⅓ cup finely diced onion
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Spoon mixture onto prepared dough circles or squares as per dough recipe instructions above. Fold over edges and seal by pressing firmly.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with tzatziki sauce for dipping!