Ciao Chow Linda

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie

Author: Ciao Chow Linda via everydaypie.com

Ingredients

• 1–9″ pie crust, homemade or purchased, blind baked (see instructions below)

• 1 cup (8 ounces; 227 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature

• ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs, divided

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (This turned the mascarpone a beige color, so I might eliminate it next time and just add the vanilla to the pumpkin instead.)

• ½ cup packed (100 grams) light brown sugar

• 1–½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

• Pinch cloves

• 1 (15 ounce) can 100% pumpkin puree (I used 1 1/2 cups of freshly cooked and drained pumpkin but 2 cups would have been better)

• heavy cream for whipping and decorating the top of pie

Instructions

1. TO ROLL AND BLIND BAKE THE PIE CRUST:

2. Roll out the pie dough to an 11″ circle and line a 9” pie plate, crimping the edges as desired.

3. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork to let steam escape during baking. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes to let the pie dough chill.

4. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 375ºF.

5. Remove the pie from freezer and line the pie dough with a parchment round piece of paper (or aluminum foil that is greased on the side that touches the pie dough) and then add pie weights (or dry rice or beans or lentils) to fill the pie shell, making sure to push pie weights to the edges.

6. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack, then remove from oven and remove the parchment and pie weights.

7. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

8. Set aside until ready to use. Lower the oven to 325ºF.

9. ASSEMBLE THE FILLING:

10. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mascarpone and the sugar, until smooth.

11. Add in 1 egg and beat until thoroughly combined.

12. Scoop out ½ cup of the mascarpone mixture and set aside.

13. Then, add to the mascarpone mixture the remaining eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin puree.

14. Beat together until fully combined.

15. Add half of the pumpkin filling to the fully baked pie crust.

16. Spoon in a few dollops of the set aside mascarpone filling to the pumpkin mixture.

17. Then, pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over the top. Spoon drops of the remaining mascarpone mixture.

18. Using a knife, chopstick or toothpick gently swirl through all layers of the pumpkin filling to achieve a marble effect.

19. TO BAKE:

20. Bake the pie on the middle rack for 45-55 minutes, or until the pie reaches a temperature of 180ºF and the outer edges have started to puff up but the center is still slightly wobbly.

21. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to finish firming up.