I have a whole bag of cornmeal in my kitchen and I’m trying to figure out how to use it up. Cornbread is a given and I’ve pondered cookies, but today I decided to throw some into pie crust.
Cornmeal gives pie dough an extra crunch and heartiness, which holds up perfectly against juicy strawberries (see photos for proof of how juicy these guys got). I used my go-to strawberry ginger filling and it resulted in a perfect summer treat. I’ve already expressed my love for mini galettes in previous posts, but let me reiterate why:
- They’re adorable
- Easy to eat (fork free if needed!)
- Easy to transport
- No sharing
Need I say more?
Crust Ingredients
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (straight from the fridge, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tbsp vinegar (I use cider vinegar, mix it in the water)
Filling Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups strawberries, sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 heaping tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- Pinch cardamom
- Pinch allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground arrowroot
- Egg wash (1 Egg plus 1/2 tsp of water)
- Raw sugar, for sprinkling
Steps
To make the crust, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, “cut” in the butter. This means you’re almost mashing the butter into the flour with the blender, ensuring all butter is covered in flour until the butter pieces are about the size of peas or a bit bigger.
Then, splash in a bit of your water mixture (2 tablespoons) and mix it around with your hand. Continue to add a little at a time and mix and squish with your hand until a large dough ball forms. If you need to get a bit more binding, add a bit of water to your fingers to help it along. Don’t feel compelled to use all the water, mix it in until just combined and the dough is holding together. Flatten into a disc and wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, make your filling. Combine sliced strawberries with lemon juice and ginger and gently stir to combine. Add brown sugar, arrowroot and spices and stir.
Remove dough disc from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the dough doesn’t crack. Roll out each disk on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick (it will be about 12-13 inches in diameter). Using a guide or going freehand, cut four 6-inch circles from the dough and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (I cut 3, then rolled my scraps into another round).
Sprinkle the middle of each round with a bit of white sugar and flour to ensure a crisp crust. Evenly spoon the filling onto each round, leaving at least a 1.5 inch border around the edge.
Fold up the dough edge over the filling, pinching the bottom edge of the galettes to make sure it all stays together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle pastry with raw sugar for garnish.
Bake at 425F for 20 minutes, until pastry is set and is beginning to brown. Lower oven temperature to 375F and bake for 15 minutes until pastry is brown and juices are bubbling. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and dig in!
Pie Girl Bakes 