Monday, June 12, 2017

Plum~And~Pretzel Cheesecake Pie & June's Give-Away Apron

Summer means "stone fruit" is in; peaches, plums, cherries, and nectarines.  Saturday, I made Stone Fruit Jam and had some plums leftover, so Sunday, I made this dessert.

Plums are considered one of the first domesticated fruits--they're not found in the wild! There are many species and cultivated all over the world.  I grew up with two plum trees in our backyard and helped my Mom make jam/jelly and cobblers with the produce.  This recipe combines the sweetness of plums with the saltiness of pretzels.  I also thought it went well with the main course of spinach manicotti, roasted asparagus, and kale salad--total Italian on this very warm day in the south!

Plum~And~Pretzel Cheesecake Pie
4 large plums, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 T firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 freshly ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, toss the plums with the remaining ingredients and let stand about 45-minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees (180C).

Pretzel Crust:
2 cups of finely ground pretzels
10 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Grind the pretzels in a food processor, then transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar.
Press the pretzel mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and bake in the preheated oven 10 to12 minutes, until golden around the edges.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees (170C).

Filling:
1 8oz. container (226g) mascarpone cheese, softened
4 oz. (113g) cream cheese, softened
2T firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 T Orange Liqueur (I used Grand Marnier
1 T Orange zest

In a bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the mascarpone, cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth.  Add the egg, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and zest and beat until combined.
Spoon into the baked crust.

Drain the plums, reserving 1/4 cup for the glaze and arrange them on top, slightly overlapping in a circular pattern.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze:
1/4 cup of reserved juices from the plums
1 T Grand Marnier
1/2 tsp. cornstarch

In a small saucepan, whisk together reserved juice, liqueur, and cornstarch.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until slightly thickened.  Brush over pie.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving or overnight.  Enjoy!


Very late on posting the apron...my apologies, but here it is.  Simply comment on any post this month and you will be entered to win this colorful, summer-like apron.  Good Luck!

26 comments:

  1. So bummed that the peach crop in Georgia is only 20% due to a late freeze earlier this year. I have an event to attend later this month and plums might be the solution. Thanks for the idea.

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    1. I'm a little unsure about the South Carolina! Ones too!

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  2. I baked some plum muffins last week too. And ready for another plum treat! I love that you used pretzel to make the crust. A really great idea!

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  3. You have me wondering about a pretzel crust...

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    1. Nice contrast to the sweetness of the plums.

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  4. The pretzel crust is a good one that I've used in a strawberry dessert. It gives a little salty sweet combination that is so good. The plums on your cheesecake look beautiful. XOXO ♥

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  5. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. It really looks terrific.

    Enjoy your week.

    Mary

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    1. I'm not a big Plum fan, but that looks grand.

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    2. Bonnie, you could substitute peaches or nectarines!

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    3. You're welcome Mary--it's a great summertime dessert.

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  6. Beautiful recipe! Sounds delicious.

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  7. I can tell from the ingredients this pie must taste divine. This is just a glorious summer dessert..thank you sweet Susan.

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  8. I love all the aprons you make, but this one simply screams summer to me! So does this pie!!! ❤️

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  9. Love the apron - the colors are great and your pie looks so delish! Ranee (MN)

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    1. Keep an eye on my post in July to see if you've ein😉

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    2. I hate auto-spell check...it's suppose to say, "if you've won!"

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  10. I am going to make this for a graduation party this weekend. Looks so good!

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  11. The colors of your apron are lovely! The pretzel crust looks interesting and I love plums.

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    1. Thank you! The crust is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the plums!

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  12. Ohw my your cheese cake sounds & looks delicious! Thank you for sharing. My husband favorite dessert is cheese cake, I must try your recipe ☕️🤗 XO

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  13. Summer means "stone fruit" is in; peaches, plums, cherries, and nectarines. Saturday, I made Stone Fruit Jam and had some plums leftover, ...
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    ReplyDelete