Plum and Mascarpone Pie

(posted by Jules)

I have been craving pie and recently I cut out a beautiful looking plum pie recipe from Bon Appetit. When my sister and I were growing up, one of our favorite fruits was plums, and since they are in season right now, plum pie seemed like the perfect Sunday afternoon activity.

Full disclosure: I didn’t make my crust. Have I made crusts before? Yes. Did I want to make a crust when it was 95 degrees out and I only had time to make the entire pie during my son's nap?  No. So I used store bought. However, my goal this fall now that I have conquered canning (or at least figured out the basics) is to perfect the crust. Another Fay family talent that I will not let pass me by.

Sugar Plum Fairies

I followed the directions exactly, which I don’t always tend to do, and I would suggest cutting back on the sugar. It made the plums very sweet, and I think the best part of a plum is the tartness. It would have been nice to have that come through a bit more. The mascarpone & crème fraîche filling was excellent, and I plan on using that as a base for many other fruit pies!

Ready to roast

Satisfied customer

PLUM & MASCARPONE PIE
Recipe from Bon Appetit, August 2012

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought 
• 4-5 pounds firm ripe plums (20–25 plums), halved, pitted (with skin)
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Whipped cream

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
A 9" pie dish

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line pie dish with crust; crimp edges. Fully bake pie crust according to recipe or box instructions.

Place plums in a large bowl; add 1 1/2 cups sugar and lemon juice. Scrape in seeds from half of vanilla bean; toss to coat. Divide plum mixture between two 13x9x2" glass baking dishes, arranging plums cut side down and overlapping slightly. Roast until juices are bubbling and slightly thickened and plums are tender but not falling apart, 40–60 minutes (cooking time will depend on ripeness of plums). Let cool slightly.

Using a slotted spatula, transfer plums to a rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill. Pour juices in baking dishes into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened and reduced to a scant 1/2 cup, 4–5 minutes; set glaze aside.

Combine remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, mascarpone, crème fraîche, and honey in a medium bowl. Scrape in seeds from remaining half vanilla bean. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until mixture holds firm peaks (do not overbeat or mascarpone may curdle). DO AHEAD: Plums, glaze, and mascarpone cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Spread mascarpone cream evenly over bottom of crust. Arrange some chilled plum halves tightly (but not overlapping) in a single layer over mascarpone mixture. Starting at edges of pie crust, arrange remaining plum halves on top of base layer, overlapping tightly and forming a spiral to cover. Pie should dome slightly in the center.

Using a pastry brush, spread some of glaze over plums (if glaze has firmed up, gently reheat, adding 1 Tbsp. water and whisking to blend).

Cut pie into slices. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with more plum syrup.