Best 20 Cornmeal Crust Recipes

CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water. Let stand until yeast is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yeast mixture and oil. Slowly stir ingredients with a wooden spoon just until dough starts to come together. Turn out dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into four 4-ounce balls. Place balls in a shallow oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil; cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone on lowest rack. Stretch dough into 6- or 7-inch rounds. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Place dough rounds on top, and cover with toppings, as desired.
• Slide rounds onto pizza stone, and bake until crust is crisp and golden and toppings are bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

CORNMEAL PIE CRUST

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.

CORNMEAL CRUST

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.

VEGGIE POT PIE WITH CORNMEAL PIE CRUST

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.

KING RANCH CHICKEN POT PIE WITH CHEDDAR-CORNMEAL BISCUIT CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 4-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook poblano chiles, onion and bell pepper in butter 8 to 10 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and 3 tablespoons flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, taco seasoning mix, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in broth and half-and-half; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until thickened. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups cheese. When cheese has melted, fold in sour cream and chicken. Transfer to baking dish.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, the cornmeal, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and the milk just until moistened. Drop dough by 12 large spoonfuls (about 1/3 cup each) on top of hot filling. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED CHILI WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan, cook beef and onion stirring frequently, until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain.
• In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon Bisquick mix, the chili powder and water; add to beef mixture. Stir in tomatoes, corn and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Pour into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish or 2-quart casserole.
• Stir remaining ingredients until blended; pour over beef mixture.
• Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Combine 1 quart water, 1 1/2 cups salt, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 7 quarts water. Add chicken pieces to brine, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove pot from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, cayenne, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large, shallow dish.
• Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chicken; do not pat dry. Working in batches of 4 to 5 pieces at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Immediately transfer to oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh (do not touch bone) reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes for white meat and 10 to 12 minutes for dark. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature between 350 degrees and 375 degrees and return oil to 375 degrees between batches. Transfer chicken as fried to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to drain. If serving cold, let cool completely, cover, and store in refrigerator up to 8 hours.

CORNMEAL 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.

RUSTIC NECTARINE AND BLACKBERRY CROSTATA WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine first 5 ingredients in processor and blend 5 seconds. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend just until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces. (To ensure a flaky crust, be careful not to overwork the butter.) Add 1/3 cup ice water. Using on/off turns, blend until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Roll out dough on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to 14-inch round, turning dough occasionally to prevent sticking. Slide rimless baking sheet under parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to refrigerator. Chill until dough firms slightly, about 30 minutes.
• For filling and baking:
• Stir sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Mix in fruit and vanilla. Let stand until juices are released, stirring fruit occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer baking sheet with dough to work surface. Let stand 8 minutes to allow dough to soften slightly if too firm to fold. Spoon fruit and juices into center of dough. Arrange fruit in even 10-inch-diameter layer in center. Brush 2-inch border of dough with egg glaze. Lift about 2 inches of dough border and pinch to form vertical seam. Continue around tart, pinching seam every 2 inches to form standing border. Fold border down over fruit (center 6 inches of fruit remain uncovered). Brush folded border with egg glaze; sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Place baking sheet with tart in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling at edges, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven; slide large metal spatula under tart to loosen from parchment. Brush fruit with preserves. Slide tart onto rack. Cool 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
• Available at Italian markets, natural foods stores, and some supermarkets.

BLUEBERRY PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

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.

TAMALE PIE WITH CHEDDAR & CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Grease 13x9x2 baking dish.
• In a large skillet heat oil add the peppers and onions saute for 5 minutes.
• Add beef to pan mixing to crumble cooking about about 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients plus 1/4 cup beer.
• Put into prepared pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stir to mix well.
• In an other bowl, whisk yogurt,eggs,and oil to blend.
• Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, scallions and jalapeño.
• Pour yogurt mixture over the cornmeal mixture and stir just till blended.
• Top the filling with crust mixture.
• Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

BARLEY-CORNMEAL CRUST

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.

CORNMEAL/POLENTA CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425
• 2. spray two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with nonfat cooking spray
• 3. Line the bottoms of each pan with circles of parchment paper
• 4. To make polenta, put the water, cornmeal, salt, and seasonings into a large microwavable casserole dish or 1-quart measure.
• 5. Cook at full power for 4 minutes
• 6. Stir well and cook again at high power for 2 more minutes
• 7. Stir again and cook at high power for another 2 minutes.
• 8. Remove from the microwave, stir in the olive oil, and beat with a spoon until completely smooth
• 9. Spread the polenta evenly in the bottom of the two pans
• 10. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 12 minutes
• 11. While the crust is cooking, prepare your toppings
• 12. Sauté the vegetables lightly in a non-stick pan until onion begins to soften
• 13. After 12 minutes, take the crusts out of the oven and invert them onto a large baking sheet, side by side.
• 14. They should fall right out of the pan with the parchment paper stuck to them. Peel away the parchment.
• 15. Spread each crust with pizza sauce (don't use too much or they will be soggy) and top with veggies and vegan sausage
• 16. Sprinkle with chopped garlic.
• 17. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until toppings look done.
• 18. Lift off the baking sheet carefully using a large spatula and your hand--they are not sturdy like regular pizza, so be careful not to let your toppings slide off.
• 19. Cut into fourths and serve..Enjoy

BLUEBERRY PIE WITH A CORNMEAL CRUST

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.

MIXED-GREENS PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-inch straight-sided skillet or baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. In a deep-sided sauté pan at least 12 inches wide, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add as many of the greens as can fit in the pot, along with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover until the greens have wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining greens, stir, and cover until they have wilted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions, dill and parsley. Transfer the mixture to a colander set over a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the kefalograviera, ricotta and manouri. Squeeze excess liquid from the cooled greens and add them to the cheeses. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk in the cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens into an almost unstirrable paste. Remove from the heat. With lightly floured fingers, press half of the mixture into a thin layer across the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the greens and cheese filling, spreading each evenly to the edges. Stir about 1/2 cup water into the remaining cornmeal to make a milkshake-thick batter (there will be a few lumps). Pour the thinned batter across the filling (some greens will poke through). Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil across the top of the pie. Bake until firm and golden brown around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with Greek yogurt on the side.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk 3 tablespoons ice water and egg yolk in small bowl to blend. Mix all purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar and salt in processor. Add chilled butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle egg yolk mixture over. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball. Flatten dough into disk; wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 12-inch round. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Invert dough, paper side up, into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Remove waxed paper from dough. Crimp dough edges decoratively.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat 6 ounces cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup golden brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour filling into prepared crust.
• Bake pie until filling is slightly puffed and just set in center, about 55 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cover pie and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep pie refrigerated.) Serve pie cold.

GLUTEN-FREE BLUEBERRY PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• In food processor, place flours, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar, the xanthan gum, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pumpkin pie spice. Cover; pulse, using quick on-and-off motions, until blended. Add 1/2 cup butter and the shortening. Cover; pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 5 seconds. Add water; pulse just until dough comes together. Divide dough in half; flatten each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm.
• In large bowl, toss blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, preserves, 1/4 cup butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• Line cookie sheet with foil; place on lower oven rack to catch any drips. Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk (keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to use). Between 2 sheets of cooking parchment paper generously sprinkled with rice flour, roll dough into 12-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully peel off top piece of parchment paper; replace paper and turn round over. Peel off parchment paper from second side of dough and discard.
• Place upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate on dough round. Turn plate with dough over; remove parchment paper and discard. Pat dough into plate, pressing together any cracks or tears. In small bowl, beat egg white. Brush over dough. Spoon filling into crust-lined plate.
• Unwrap second dough disk. Between 2 sheets of cooking parchment paper generously sprinkled with rice flour, roll dough into 12-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully peel off top piece of parchment paper; invert dough onto filling. Peel off parchment paper from second side of dough and discard. Using sharp knife, trim crusts even with edge of plate; crimp edge with fork to seal. Cut vents in top crust. In small bowl, beat egg yolk and milk. Brush over dough. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours.

PICADILLO EMPAñADAS WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make the cornmeal dough:
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer proof the yeast with the sugar in 1/4 cup of the milk for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup milk, the whole egg, the egg yolk, the sour cream, and the butter, add 2 cups of the flour, the cornmeal, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough. With the dough hook knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, for 4 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours and punch it down. (The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Make the picadillo:
• In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, the garlic, the jalapeños, the cumin, the chili powder, the oregano, the cinnamon, the cloves, and pepper to taste in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the chuck, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes with the juice, the raisins, the olives, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the picadillo, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, and let it cool. (The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the picadillo return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 6-inch round cutter cut each piece into a round. Put about 1/3 cup of the picadillo onto the bottom two thirds of each round and fold the rounds in half, enclosing the filling. Seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively. Transfer the empanadas with a spatula to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer the empanadas to a rack and let them cool.

CORNMEAL CRUST FOR PEACH POTPIE

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.

SWEET-POTATO PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Pulse flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until pea-size clumps form. Whisk together egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water in a small bowl. Drizzle over flour mixture; pulse until mixture just begins to hold together when pinched. (If too dry, drizzle with another tablespoon ice water, and pulse a few more times.) Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, loosely cover, and press into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Roll out dough to a 12-inch round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edge of dough under itself until flush with edge of dish.
• Gather dough scraps, reroll, and stamp out various leaf shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Whisk egg white with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; brush over cutouts. Refrigerate crust and cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Line piecrust with parchment; fill with pie weights or beans. Bake on upper rack until bottom is dry, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; return to oven. Place sheet with cutouts on lower rack; bake crust and cutouts until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (If edges of crust are browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let cool completely.
• Filling: While crust is cooling, pierce potatoes with a fork; place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until very soft, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from skins. Transfer 2 cups flesh to a food processor (reserving remainder for another use); puree with milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until smooth.
• Pour filling into piecrust; smooth top. Bake until edges are puffed slightly and center is set, 1 hour to 1 hour, 20 minutes. (If crust is browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let cool completely. Top with leaf cutouts and serve, with whipped cream.