Cornmeal Pie Pastry MAKES A SINGLE OR DOUBLE CRUST FOR A 9-INCH STANDARD PIE'OR 9 1/2-INCH DEEP-DISH~PIE
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces 1/4 cup cold buttermilk 2'/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces 1/2 cup cold buttermilk How to make in a food processor: Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the food processor. Pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse 5 or 6 times to cut it in. Fluff the mixture with a folk, lifting it up from the bottom of the bowl. Scatter the shortening over the flour and pulse 5 or 6 times. Fluff the mixture again. Drizzle half of the buttermilk over the flour mixture and pulse 4 or 5 times. Fluff the mixture and sprinkle with the remaining buttermilk. Pulse again, briefly, until the dough forms clumps. It will be damper than some crusts you've seen because of the buttermilk. Dump the contents of the processor into a large, shallow bowl. How to make by hand:Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Toss well, by hand, to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and toss to mix. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until it is broken into pieces the size of split peas. Add the shortening and continue to cut until all the fat is cut into small pieces. Sprinkle half of the buttermilk over the dry mixture. Toss well with a fork to dampen the mixture. Add the remaining buttermilk and continue to toss and mix, pulling the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl on the upstroke and gently pressing down on the downstroke. If it seems necessary, add a bit more buttermilk until the pastry can be packed. To make with an electric mixer: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, tossing it with the flour. With the mixer on low speed, blend the butter into the flour until you have what looks like coarse, damp meal, with both large and small clumps. Add the shortening and repeat. Turning the mixer on and off, add half of the buttermilk. Mix briefly on low speed. Add the remaining buttermilk, mixing slowly until the dough starts to form large clumps. If you're using a stand mixer, stop peri odically to stir the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix. Using your hands, pack the pastry into a ball (or 2 if you're making a double crust) as you would pack a snowball. If you're making a double crust, make one ball slight ly larger than the other; this will be your bottom crust. Knead each ball once or twice, then flatten the balls into 3/4-inch-thick disks on a floured work surface. Wrap the disks in plas- tic and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling. Pie by Ken Haedrich
