Tart on Ember Day

Parboil onions, and sage, and parsley and hew them small, then take good fat cheese, and bray it, and do thereto eggs, and temper it up therewith, and do thereto butter and sugar, and raisyngs of corince, and powder of ginger, and of canel, medel all this well together, and do it in a coffin, and bake it uncovered, and serve it forth.

Several years ago, for a dinner after which the invited couples were to each enact a dialogue from Shakespeare, I researched and made this dish. Unfortunately, I've lost the source and historical details, but the recipe dates from the Medieval era. Its blend of flavors is unusual by today's standards, yet delicious. We enjoyed it last night for dinner. Here's the modern version:

7 ounces Muenster cheese
4 medium onions
1/3 cup parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh sage
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
4 Tablespoons currants
9-inch pie crust

Chop onions, boil 10 minutes, drain. Grate cheese. Mix everything and put in pie crust. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

There's something about the fact that a pie crust used to be called a coffin that gives me pause. I don't know the etymology. What does it say about us that we use the word coffin as we do now, or that we no longer use it for pie crusts?

Update: A little further research did not turn up a source that corresponded exactly to the notes I took, but did seem to verify that the recipe apparently dates from the early 15th century "Ancient Cookery," which seems to be credited to the Arundel Collection, No. 344, p.275-445.