Harrison's winning Mascarpone Pie obliterated the competition.

On Monday we celebrated March 14th in the traditional manner: with pi(e).

There were 18 entrants in our Iron Chef Pi Day battle, and after much joyful eating--and then napping--the votes were counted. The winner wasn't the Elvis pie (bacon, peanut butter, and chocolate graham), the Irish Explosion pie (chocolate jello, green jello, and Lucky Charms pictured to the right), or the French Toast pie (you can guess the ingredients).

No, fruit beat out bacon! The winner was Harrison's Mascarpone Peach, which, he notes, can include laxatives if it's "that kind" of office party. (He spared us.)

Mascarpone Peach Tart

Crust
25 gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken (about 6 ounces; about 2 1/4 cups pieces)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

Topping
4 to 5 small nectarines, halved, pitted, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup peach jam, warmed
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350F. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Make the filling:
Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in crystallized ginger. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Top:
Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.

Enjoy, pie-nauts! We may also celebrate Tau Day--an alternate, "one turn" approach to our favorite circular constant--on June 28th with tortes but we won't forget Pi Day. 'Cause if loving math and pastry is wrong, we don't want to be right.