Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie Recipe

Crust:

1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ cup chilled non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ cup (or more) ice water

Blend flour and salt in processor.  Add butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add ¼ cup ice water; pulse until dough begins to clump, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry.  Gather into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Roll out dough on floured work surface to 12-inch round.  Transfer to a 9-inch glass pie dish.  Trim overhang to 1 inch beyond rim.  Crimp edges. Chill Crust while making filling.

Filling:

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*

Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin and sugar in large bowl until well blended.  Add eggs and next 7 ingredients and beat until blended.  Add mascarpone cheese and beat just until mixture is smooth.  Transfer filling to prepared crust.

Bake pie until custard is set, about 55 minutes.  Transfer pie to rack and cool.

Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead.  Tent with foil to chill.

* An Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

Makes 8 servings