Cornmeal Pastry Crust Recipes

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:

• Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Pour in water slowly; knead dough into a firm ball.
• Pour in additional water as needed if dough is too dry or additional flour if too moist. Divide batter into equal halves. Roll out dough halves into rounds on a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin to desired thickness.
• Press one round into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Use the other round as a top crust or for a separate bottom crust. Bake according to desired filling instructions.

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:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine cornmeal, pastry flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse about 20 times, until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add water and pulse until mixture forms a loose dough. Remove dough from processor and press into bottom and about 1/8-inch up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable rim. Press aluminum foil into the bottom and sides of the pan on top of the dough and weigh down with uncooked rice or pie weights. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove rice and foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer shiny and wet. Remove from oven and let cool.
• For the filling: Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat; saute shallots until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices on the trays in a single layer and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast the vegetables until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from oven and cool.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the eggplant slices in 2 layers on the bottom of tart; cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and some of the shredded basil. Add the zucchini and shallots, top with another 1/3 of the mozzarella and basil, then the tomatoes. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables have further wilted. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Make dough:
• In a bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to flour mixture. With your fingertips or a pastry blender blend in butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Make caramelized pears:
• Peel pears and halve lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 wedges and core. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet melt butter over moderate heat and stir in sugar. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is golden, about 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let mixture stand until it begins to firm up, about 3 minutes. Arrange pears, rounded sides down, as close together as possible in 2 concentric circles in skillet.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and cut out an 11-inch round. Drape round over pears, tucking edge around pears, and with a fork prick dough in several places. Bake tart in middle of oven until pastry is golden and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool tart in skillet on a rack 15 minutes.
• Invert a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than skillet over skillet and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plate firmly pressed against skillet, invert tart onto plate. Arrange any loose pears on tart and spoon sauce from plate onto tart. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, raisins and seasonings; simmer. , Meanwhile, for pastry, combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, a little at a time, until dough forms a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. , Divide pastry into two balls; roll half out on a lightly floured surface to a 16-in. circle. Cut into four 7-1/2-in. rounds. Place 1/2 cup filling on each round. Combine egg and water; brush on pastry edges. Fold dough over to form half circles; crimp edges to seal. Repeat with other half of pastry and remaining filling. , Place on greased baking sheets; brush tops with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with taco sauce if desired.

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, cornmeal and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Stir in remaining filling ingredients except whipped cream. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.
• Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 35 minutes longer.
• In small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel over pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Place pie on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Steps:

• For Pastry: Sift together flour and salt; stir in cornmeal.
• Cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• Stir in grated Cheddar cheese; sprinkle water over mixture gradually, mixing lightly with fork.
• Shape into ball; flatten on lightly floured surface. Roll to about 1/8" thickness.
• Line 9" pie pan; trim and flute edge. Fill and bake as directed below.
• For Filling: Separate 3 eggs and set whites aside for use in meringue.
• Beat yolks, adding sugar gradually.
• Cut butter into flour; add buttermilk, lemon peel and juice. Fold in yolks.
• Pour into 9" Cornmeal Pie Shell.
• Bake in hot oven (425°F) 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350°F and bake 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool.
• To make meringue: Beat 4-5 egg whites in a large bowl with electric mixer on high, until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. (Amount of sugar actually used will depend on the humidity in the air).
• Pile meringue lightly over cooled Butterrmilk filling.
• Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 12 to 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar, sage, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolks and ice water in a small bowl. With machine running, add to flour mixture through feed tube; process until dough just holds together.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide in half, and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk to a 10-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges flush with rim. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day). Reserve remaining dough for another use (it can be frozen up to 3 months).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick bottom of tart shell with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool.