In Jamaica, cornmeal is no gourmet fare. However, in countries like Italy and France, cornmeal is called polenta, if you please, and they use it for more than porridge or pudding. As for feeding the dogs well, European pooches are a pampered set, anyway.
So celebrate the cornmeal with these sweet, sweet recipes. Think about having them with a sweet dessert wine, coffee or tea.
SUCCESS TIP
Products made from dried white and yellow corn are available in several degrees of coarseness: corn flour (fine grind), cornmeal (medium grind) and polenta (coarse grind).
Cornmeal-Raisin Rounds
These satisfying cornmeal cookies go well with coffee, tea or with poached fruit for dessert. Note that the dough must be refrigerated overnight. The cookies may be frozen for up to one month.
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tbs. rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus butter for greasing
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs. honey
1 large egg
1/2 cup yellow or white cornmeal
3/4 cup flour, plus flour for dusting
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
METHOD
1. In a small bowl, combine raisins, rum and vanilla. Stir and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and honey, and cream well. Beat in egg. Add polenta gradually and beat to blend. In separate bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins.
3. Pat dough into 6-inch square, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds with a 1 1/2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter; gather scraps and reroll until dough is used up. Place rounds on lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned (18 to 20 minutes). Cool on rack.
Makes about 2 dozen rounds.
Pear Custard Tart
with Cornmeal Crust
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs. lemon juice (or 1 tbs.
lime juice)
1/2 cup honey
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1/2 vanilla bean, split
2 large, ripe but firm American
pears (Anjou, Bosc, Comice or
Winter Nellis), peeled, halved
and cored
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Cornmeal Tart Dough (recipe
below)
METHOD
1. In large pot, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, the water, wine, cinnamon and cloves. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, scrape vanilla seeds into liquid, then add vanilla pod to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat. Add pears; poach just until a knife easily penetrates the flesh (15 to 25 minutes, depending on variety, size and ripeness). Let cool in poaching liquid.
2. With fingers, press Cornmeal Tart Dough into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart tin. Prick dough all over with fork. Chill 45 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve each pear half lengthwise. Arrange pears, cut sides facing down, in prepared tart shell. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, whipping cream, 1/4 cup of the poaching liquid and nutmeg. Carefully pour mixture around and over pears. Bake until custard is firm to the touch and lightly browned (about 35 minutes). Cool on rack. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 1 (9-inch) tart.
Cornmeal Tart dough
1 cup flour, plus 2 tbs. flour if
necessary
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbs. chilled unsalted butter,
cut in small pieces
1 large egg
1 tbs. water
METHOD
1. Into work bowl of a food processor, place the 1 cup flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Process until mixed (about 3 seconds). Add butter and process until blended (about 4 seconds). Beat egg with water and add to bowl; process until dough barely forms a ball.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly to form a ball, sprinkling with up to 2 more tablespoons flour if necessary. Pat into a square, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if refrigerated for more than 2 hours, remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes before pressing into tart tin).
