Cornmeal Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water. With the processor running, drizzle in the yolk mixture. The dough should just come together. If it looks dry add more water, up to 4 tablespoons.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together; it will be stiffer than a regular pie crust because of the cornmeal. Divide into four pieces, press into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the filling: Toss the potatoes, yam, parsnips, celery and mushrooms with 4 tablespoons oil.
• Season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. You don't want to cook these all the way though since they will cook more in the pot pie. (They should be al dente, but starting to get some color.)
• Combine the flour and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until smooth and bubbly like pancake batter, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the mushroom broth. Simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste and remove from the heat.
• Add the roasted veggies to the mushroom broth along with the peas, thyme, rosemary and sherry vinegar. Divide the filling among four 8-ounce ramekins.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and roll each into a 5-inch disc. Wet the rim each ramekin and lay a crust over the top. Poke each 5 or 6 times with a fork and place in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown ground beef; drain. Stir in remaining filling ingredients; set aside. , In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients except 1/2 cup cheddar cheese; mix well. Spread on the bottom and up the sides of a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish or 10-in. ovenproof skillet. , Pour filling into prepared crust. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes.

Steps:

• Pulse flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just begins to hold together (no longer than 30 seconds).
• Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Steps:

• For the crust: Put the flour, yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Combine 1/2 cup ice water and the apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Add the ice water mixture to the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, and pulse until the mixture just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and press the dough together. Divide the dough in half and press into two discs. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• For the filling: Put 4 cups blueberries and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and the blueberries start to release some of their juices, 3 to 5 minutes. By this time, the mixture will have started to boil. Lower the heat to a strong simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces, 10 minutes. Stir in the tapioca starch and cook until the mixture thickens and resembles, blueberry jam, 5 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then stir in the remaining 4 cups blueberries, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and the blueberry jam, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• To assemble and bake: Roll 1 chilled dough disc into a 13-inch round (about 1/8-inch-thick) on a lightly floured surface.
• Roll the dough onto a rolling pin, then unroll it into a 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate, letting it hang over the edge. Evenly spoon the chilled filling into the pie plate.
• Roll out the remaining dough disc into a 12-inch round and place it over the filling. Press the crust edges together and trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Roll up or pinch the overhang to seal. Crimp as desired.
• Make five 2-inch slashes in the top of the crust. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Position a rack on the lowest shelf of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash on top of the chilled pie, including the crimped edges. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Put the pie on top of the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375 degrees F and rotate the baking sheet. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through for even color, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 1 hour. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cover them with foil or crust protectors. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the pie to cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Slice the cooled pie into 8 to 10 pieces before serving.

Steps:

• Make the crust: blend flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and shortening, then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water and blend until dough forms a ball, adding more ice water, a half-tablespoon at a time (up to 2 additional tablespoons), if dough is dry. Divide dough in half, flatten into two round disks, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make the filling: whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest. Fold in 4 cups blueberries, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water. Let stand at room temperature about 45 minutes until juices form. Gently fold in the remaining 2 cups blueberries.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out one dough round. Transfer rolled-out dough to a 9-inch pie pan and fill with blueberry mixture. Roll out the second dough round, then use it to cover the pie, decoratively crimping together dough edges to seal. Score top crust with a knife so pie can vent. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
• Place pie pan on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes more. Spoon any escaped juices onto pie. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• Whisk cornmeal with 1 1/2 cups cold water.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water, salt, and pepper to a boil.
• Gradually stir in cornmeal mixture. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring often, until very thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted.

Steps:

• Pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with no large pieces remaining. Add yolk, and drizzle 1/4 cup water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together when pressed between 2 fingers (it should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, pulse in more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Turn out dough onto work surface, and knead once or twice to combine. Divide dough in half. Shape into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
• Cut in shortening.
• In a separate bowl, beat together egg and 1/4 cup water.
• Add to cornmeal mixture.
• Press into 9 inch pie plate to form crust.
• Use in place of regular pie crust.

Steps:

• Prepare the butter and lard, if using. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes (a bench scraper is perfect for this, but a sharp knife works well too), and cut the lard into small pieces. Return them to the fridge to cool.
• In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and vinegar. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.
• On a clean flat surface or in a large shallow bowl, toss the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, sugar, and salt together lightly to blend. Add the butter and lard (if using) to the dry ingredients and, using the tool of your choice, cut the fat into the flour with speed and patience, until the fat has been reduced to small pea-sized chunks. Try to use a straight up-and-down motion, as the more you press on the flour the more tough gluten will develop. Avoid using your fingers, as the heat from your hands will melt the fat and further encourage gluten development. Unlike with pasta or bread, gluten is the enemy of pie dough, so be gentle, and be quick!
• Once your fat has been cut down to size, spread your mixture out to expose as much surface area as possible. Gently drizzle about half of your milk mixture over the flour, trying to cover as wide an area as you can. Using bench scrapers or a large spoon, lightly toss the flour over the liquid, then spread everything out again, and repeat the process with the second half of the liquid.
• You should now have a dough that will just hold together when pressed against the bowl, with visible little chunks of butter. If you need to add more liquid to bind it, do so with more cold milk, adding a tablespoon at a time until you reach the right texture. It's not an exact science, as everything from the humidity in the air to the dryness of your flour will affect the consistency of your dough.
• Once you've reached your goal, cover the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week, well wrapped, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Steps:

• Combine both flours, the cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, with a few almond-sized pieces remaining. Sprinkle the grapefruit juice over the mixture and pulse until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened and large clumps just start to form. When you squeeze some of the fine crumbs between your fingers, they should hold together.
• Turn the dough out and divide it into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other.
• Shape the dough into two 1-inch-thick disks, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Make-ahead: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. It can be frozen in resealable plastic freezer bags for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
• Cut butter and shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Push mixture to 1 side of bowl.
• Drizzle 1 Tbsp. apple cider along edge of mixture in bowl. Using a fork, gently toss a small amount of flour mixture into cider just until dry ingredients are moistened; move mixture to other side of bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining cider and flour mixture.
• Gently press dough into two flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 24 hours.
• TIPS when ready to fill and bake: Place 1 Cornmeal Crust Dough disk on a lightly floured piece of wax paper; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Top with another sheet of wax paper. Roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (about 11 inches wide).
• Remove and discard top sheet of wax paper. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around rolling pin, separating dough from bottom sheet of wax paper as you roll. Discard bottom sheet of wax paper. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch glass pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Gently press dough into pie plate.
• Roll remaining Cornmeal Crust Dough disk as directed in Step 5, rolling dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (13 inches wide). Remove and discard wax paper, and place dough over filling; fold edges under, sealing to bottom crust, and crimp.

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook beef, pork and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato juice, corn, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Pour into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish., In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out into a 12x8-in. rectangle; place over the meat mixture. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, mix in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and 3 tablespoons ice water. Add egg-yolk mixture to flour mixture. Using a fork, mix quickly and lightly. Knead dough lightly in bowl until dough holds together; add up to 1 tablespoon ice water if dry. Divide dough into four equal balls. Press each ball into a disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add corn syrup, milk and vanilla; mix well. Fold in cornmeal and flour. Pour into pastry shells. , Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until set (cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary). Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal and salt.
• Whisk to combine well.
• Cut in shortening to resemble coarse crumbs and sprinkle 1 T.
• of water over the mixture.
• Toss with a fork, pushing to the sids of the bowl, repeating until all dry ingredients are moistened.
• Form the dough into 2 balls and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out and use as you will.

Steps:

• Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl with a pastry blender. Add cold butter and combine with the pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Drizzle in cold water, a little at a time, stirring to combine with a fork, until dough comes together.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and bring together with your hands; press into a disk of dough.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
• Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch in a bowl.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll on a lightly floured work surface into a 15-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Place blueberry filling into the center of the dough, leaving 3 to 4 inches of space around the border of dough. Fold dough up and around the berries, rotating a few inches and make another fold, overlapping the first; repeat around the dough until pleats are formed.
• Combine beaten egg and water in a small bowl and brush on the dough. Sprinkle on demerara sugar.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden, about 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter in small pieces and pulse into the dry mix just until coarse pebbles form. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. By hand, gradually work in the sour cream and 1/4 cup ice water. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Adjust as necessary with flour or water. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to a day in advance).
• To prepare the pies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a very thin (1/8-inch) round and drape it into a 4-ounce tart pan or individual gratin dish. Cover each shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie shells on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the beans and parchment and bake 1-2 minutes longer. Don't let them color too much, because they will be baked again with the filling. Let them cool to room temperature.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and fennel, if using, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, scallions, and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir. Whisk in the stock, lemon zest and juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crayfish and simmer for a few more minutes, until the crayfish is warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to make pies.
• Fill each cooled shell with 3 ounces (about 6 tablespoons) of crayfish filling. Set them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• I cook only with Louisiana crayfish-accept no substitutes! Frozen varieties are available from China, but they have no texture or flavor. That's because the fat that normally coats fresh crayfish does not freeze well (it tends to go rancid before the tail meat does), so it's rinsed off before freezing. But crayfish needs that fat to retain its sweet flavor. Your best bet is to choose a Louisiana source (see Sources, p. 384) whose crayfish are frozen close to the end of the January-to-June season. Better yet, buy a few pounds of fresh crayfish and freeze them yourself, but use them up within four weeks.
• Put your fear of pastry aside-this cornmeal pie dough is not sticky and is absolutely wonderful to work with. If you don't want to bother blind-baking pie shells you can simply prepare these as little turnovers. Roll each portion of dough into a 6-inch round, place a few tablespoons of filling on one half, fold the other side over the top, and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers. Brush them with egg wash, if you like, and bake at 350°F until golden, about 25-30 minutes, or deep-fry them-which is more traditional.

Steps:

• Cook onion in olive oil until just tender, in a large round pot with a lid.
• Add curry paste and mix well.
• Add chopped carrot and cook on medium heat until carrot is tender or even lightly browned.
• Add water and peas.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add sugar.
• Boil for 2 minutes.
• Add cornmeal.
• Stir and remove from heat once thick (about 30 seconds).
• Cover and let sit 10 minutes.
• Cut into pie-slice-shaped pieces, and serve with ketchup. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425. Grease 12 inch pizza pan with shortening.
• Heat water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan.
• Stir in remaining ingredients with wire whisk until mixture is smooth and thickens.
• Spoon onto pizza pan and spread evenly, mounding edge slightly.
• Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until set and light brown.
• After you top pizza with your favorite toppings, bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are hot.