We are just back from Italy, from our holidays, where we had hot temperatures until we left, at least in the location where we were. Our skin is tanned and warm, coming back was a thermal shock. So I am not ready to let go of summer. Not ready for my birthday, in just a few days, not ready for Fall, with its sudden and abrupt dropping in temperatures, my hands and feet constantly cold. I am not ready for apples and pumpkins, either, not yet. So this dessert, is our way, my way, of clinging to the summer flavors: a Peach, Rhubarb and Mascarpone Pie.

It was another joint effort, mine and Loreto's. We attempted, with great results, to make our first pie dough. We adapted the recipe from the Duchess Bake Shop cookbook and it was fantastic and easy to follow. Duchess is a renowned Bakery, Cafè and Bake Shop in Edmonton, always lined up out the door. Their sweets are luxurious, sophisticated and french inspired. You can imagine how our pie turned out to be: Magnifique!

Making your pie crust is not as hard as it might seem. It was longer to write the recipe than to make it. It just requires some attention and some "must dos". The butter and shorthening have to be cold, you do not have to overwork the dough, the dough has to be refrigerated before rolling it out. Do not fear, just follow your intuition and have fun. It will turn out beautiful and you will be proud of yourself!.

The filling can be whatever you desire or have in your fridge; you can choose to go classic and use apples, we opted for succulent sweet peaches and sour rhubarb that we got from Loreto's parents' garden. You can skip the mascarpone and simply add cubes of butter. But I must say that the mascarpone provides a rich creaminess that melts in your mouth at every bite.

We had so much fun, Loreto and I, making this Peach, Rhubarb and Mascarpone Pie. We are such a great team in the kitchen, we divide tasks, we leave our egos at the door, we respect and trust each other.

The end result was a tremendously delicious pie. The crust light, flaky, buttery. The filling sweet and tart harmonized together with the mascarpone cheese. Optional, but very recommended, a big dollop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt on top of a warm slice of pie, always brings you back home.

Enjoy it and share it with people you love. We brought it to my in-laws and we had it as a dessert, after a nice, typical Italian dinner. So again, the final pictures of the sliced pie, were "stolen shots" in somebody else's kitchen 🙂 .

Background song: "From Eden" by Hozier... "Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago..."

Peach, Rhubarb and Mascarpone Pie

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Print Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 1 x 9-inch pie plus 1 pie shell 1x

Instructions

For the pie dough: Place the flour, butter, shortening and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until the fats are in small chunks and the mixture looks a bit dry (about 10-15 seconds). Do not overmix it.
Add the ice water all at once and mix on medium speed until the dough just comes together. Some small lumps of fat should remain in the dough.
Shape the dough into 3 balls. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. At this point you can freeze the ball/s of dough that you are not going to use (we froze one ball for a later use).
For the Filling: While the dough is in the fridge, peel and slice the peaches, clean and chop the rhubarb and place in a cast iron skillet. Toss in lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, granulated sugar. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until a nice caramelization occurs.
Place the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.
Toss the dry mixture with the peach and rhubarb mixture. Set aside.
After the 30 minutes in the refrigerator, take the dough out, lightly flour a work surface and place the cold dough in the middle. Lightly flour the top of the dough and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough from the center outward.
While rolling out your dough, keep rotating it, lightly flouring the surface under the dough, as well as the top as needed to prevent from sticking. Roll the dough to about ½ cm thick. (Repeat for the second ball of the dough that will be used for the top and set aside).
Flip the pie plate you will be using upside down onto the dough. Using a sharp knife, trace a circle 1 to 2 inches out from the edge of the pie plate. Remove the plate.
Fold the circle of dough in half and transfer it to the pie plate. Unfold the dough, then using your fingers, gently press it down to form the pie shell, leaving the extra dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate.
For the Assembly: Fill the pie slighly heaping, dot with mascarpone cheese dollops and then cover with the second circle overtop.
Working around the entire edge of the pie, snugly tuck the dough under itself, forming a thick rim. Make sure the edges are well pressed to keep the filling from bubbling out during baking.
Using the thumb of one hand, press the dough between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, forming a crimped peak. Continue around the entire edge.
Brush the whole pie generously with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, create your own pattern of short and long slits. These will act as vents for the pie to release steam while baking.
Sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake the pie for 60 - 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
Serve warm out of the oven.
Dollop of ice cream on top, optional.