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!