Maple Custard Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Jake McDaniel of Locals Underground has a talent for pairing unexpected ingredients to craft extraordinary flavors, and this pie is no exception. This recipe, a love letter to Bruce’s Syrups & Candies’ locally-made maple syrup, combines a buttery cornmeal crust, a rich maple custard filling, and candied black walnut garnish that will make a statement on your table at Thanksgiving or any time of year.
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
1.5 cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ tsp salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
¼ cup cold milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup*
1 egg yolk* (reserve white for garnish)
Garnish:
1 cup shelled and hulled black walnuts
1 egg white*
½ cup maple syrup*
1 tsp Salt
Filling:
2 eggs*
1 egg yolk* (reserve white for garnish)
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
2 cups milk
⅓ cup maple syrup*
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
*These ingredients can be found at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market
Method
To make crust, mix flour, cornmeal, and salt together.
Cut 8 tablespoons of cold butter into the dry mix.
Add ¼ cup milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 egg yolk to create coarse, sticky mixture.
Fraisage the dough (pile everything into a mound on your work surface and use the heel of your hand to smear the butter into the flour).
Form into 2 discs and chill dough 30 minutes.
After chilling; roll discs into one ~10” circle and lay it into your pie pan. Poke a few holes with a fork around the base to allow steam to escape.
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.
To make the garnish, whip your egg whites with the maple syrup and salt until you can form soft peaks with your beater.
Coat black walnuts in the whipped mixture.
Arrange onto a baking sheet (use parchment for easy clean-up) and bake for 90 minutes at 215. Mix the nuts every 20 minutes.
To make the filling, mix 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk with cornstarch and salt.
Simmer milk and maple syrup whisk half of the mixture into the egg and cornstarch mixture. Combine all of both mixtures, whisking constantly so the eggs don’t scramble.
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat, and add 1 tablespoon of butter and a ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Pour into the prebaked crust.
Allow the pie to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Garnish with walnuts and serve!
