Blueberry Pie with Cornmeal Crust and Lemon Cream

Over the summer, one of my classmates got the idea that we should organize a group trip to a "Pick Your Own" blueberry farm. As it happened, a group of about 8 or so budding economists made our way out of the city and into the blueberry bushes. After some navigational challenges, we made our way to the farm and began picking (and eating) blueberries all morning. I had thought that I had solid blueberry skills, having grown up near the self-proclaimed blueberry capitol of the world, Hammonton, New Jersey, but alas, I was put to shame. In the end, I still made it home with 3.5 pounds of blueberries and no idea what to do with them.

It turns out that when life hands me blueberries, I make pie. Having never made a pie crust before, I was a little nervous. I also wanted to do something a little different. It is in this state that I came across the following recipe for blueberry pie using cornmeal for the crust. While I still aspire to make a traditional crust in the near future (and still have more than enough blueberries to make my aspiration a reality), I thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected flavor of the cornmeal, and I thought it complemented the blueberries well. The lemon cream finished the entire experience wonderfully.

Blueberry Pie with Cornmeal Crust and Lemon Cream
Adapted from Claudia Fleming in Bon Appétit, July 2008

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal (preferably stone-ground, medium grind)
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus
6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks total) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, frozen, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:
5 cups fresh blueberries (about 27 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
Milk (for brushing)
1 1/2 tablespoons raw sugar

Lemon Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest from 1 lemon

Preparation

For crust: Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; blend just until moist clumps begin to form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften dough 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling out.

For filling: Combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in large bowl; toss to blend. Let stand at room temperature until juices begin to form, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place rimmed baking sheet in bottom of oven. Roll out 1 dough disk between 2 sheets of generously floured parchment paper to 12-inch round. Peel off top parchment sheet; invert dough into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Carefully peel off second parchment sheet. Gently press dough into pie dish, pressing any cracks together as needed to seal and leaving dough overhang. Spoon filling into pie crust.

Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of generously floured parchment paper to 12-inch round. Peel off top parchment sheet. Carefully and evenly invert dough atop filling. Peel off second parchment sheet. Trim overhang of both crusts to 1 inch. Fold overhang under and press to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Cut five 2-inch-long slits in top crust of pie to allow steam to escape during baking. Lightly brush top crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake pie 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling thickly through slits, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack. While pie is baking, make lemon cream. In a medium-sized bowl, whip heavy cream quickly with a wire whisk or electric mixer until the cream is slightly thickened. Add the sugar and vanilla, and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Stir in lemon lest. To serve, cut pie into wedges and top with lemon cream.