Mango Pie

We're taking a break from our usually scheduled Middle Eastern fare for something quite deserving of your attention: Mango Pie! I'll admit that I would not have thought of this myself, but a certain someone I know is quite obsessed with pie, and rather enamored of mangos, and using the five-year-old logic that things you like must go well together, thus begat mango pie.

And though mangos may not be traditional in pie, they certainly stand up perfectly to the short-crust treatment. They were soft and sweet without being runny or mushy. Looking at the price and labor of using fresh mangos, I decided to go for frozen, which turned out the be an excellent economical choice. The only thing I would say about frozen mangos is to thaw them and check them over for under-ripe pieces. Our bags had a few firm pieces that never softened up in baking, so I wished I had gone over the fruit first. Of course, fresh mangos would be even better I imagine. The pie is spiked with a bit of rum ad ginger, and we served it with an excellent homemade coconut ice cream for the a la mode treatment.

Mango Pie
If using frozen mangos you'll need 2 bags of frozen. Thaw them, check over for any too-firm pieces, and slice in half any of the larger segments. Then use as below.

dough for a double-crust pie
4 1/2 cups cubed mango
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbl cornstarch
2 tbl dark rum
1 tbl diced crystallized ginger
optional:1 egg for egg wash

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out pie crusts and refrigerate.
2. Combine filling ingredients (mango, sugar, cornstarch, rum, ginger) in a large bowl.
3. Fit pie crust into pan, add filling, top with second pie crust and trim edges. Cut slits for vents on top crust. If desired, beat egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over crust.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 425F, then lower oven temperature to 375F and bake for 30 minutes.