Apple or Pear Pie with Pecorino, or Torta di Mele o Pere al Pecorino: Though one often encounters fruit crostata in Italy, fruit pies are relatively rare. However, there are some, and this one's tasty.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 75 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (300 g) fresh Pecorino Toscano
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) Delicious apples or Bartlett pears
- A 12-ounce (300 g) package of puff pastry dough
- 8 ounces (200 g) mascarpone cheese
- 2/3 cup (120 g) sugar
- 1/4 cup potato or corn starch
- 2 eggs, separated
- Powdered sugar
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 280 F (140 C). Roll out the puff pastry dough and use it to line a 10-inch (25 cm) pan that's a couple of inches deep.Peel, core, and chop the fruit. Boil the apples for a half hour or the pears for 20 minutes, in a half cup of water.
While they're cooking grate the pecorino, and beat it into the mascarpone, sugar, egg yolks, and starch. Beat the mixture for another 10 minutes, then mix in the fruit. Beat the egg white to soft peaks and fold them into the mixture too. Turn the mixture out into the dough-lined pan, and bake it for 40-50 minutes. When it has cooled, dust it with the powdered sugar.
