Blueberry Pie With a Cornmeal Crust

This recipe came to The Times from Diana Scott-Sho of the Luscious Little Dessert Company in Yonkers. A picture of this pie prompted many an email from readers asking where they could get the recipe. What sets this pie apart from the usual summer berry is twofold. First, there’s the nubby cornmeal crust, nearly as sweet as a cookie but still flaky. Second, there is the blueberry syrup drizzled on the top. This was a genius move on Ms. Scott-Sho’s part. Rather than just letting the overflowing sugary juice fossilize on the baking sheet, she spoons it while still bubbling hot over the top of the pie. Not only does this make cleanup slightly easier, it adds a completely different textural experience. You get the jammy, juicy fruit, the crisp crust and then the syrup, which thickens into something akin to soft fruit leather, and far tastier.

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 290 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups), more for rolling out dough
• 35 grams cornmeal (about 1/4 cup)
• 35 grams sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
• 2 grams salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 12 tablespoons butter, unsalted, chilled, cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening, chilled, cut into small pieces

For the filling:

• 135 grams granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup)
• 30 grams cornstarch (about 1/4 cup)
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 6 cups fresh blueberries (about 3 pints)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon Demerara or raw sugar

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    670 calories; 29 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 99 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 46 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 61 milligrams cholesterol; 187 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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One 9-inch pie

Preparation

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.