Plum and Mascarpone Pie

By norsegal8

Use plums that hold their shape when cooked, such as black or red (avoid soft-fleshed Santa Rosas). If you prefer a taller pie, use all 5 pounds of fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust
• 4 - 5 pounds firm, ripe plums (20 - 25 plums), halved, pitted (with skin)
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons honey whipped cream

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with crust, and fully bake according to recipe instructions.

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

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

Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, mascarpone, creme fraiche and honey in a medium bowl. Scrape in the seeds from the remaining half of the vanilla bean. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until the mixture holds firm peaks ( do not overmix or the mascarpone may curdle).

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

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

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