Mango Strawberry Pie



Mango Strawberry Pie


At the beginning of the week when we came up with the ingredients,  my husband instantly said "pie".  I hate to admit, I groaned, out loud.  I also whined a little, "ughhh pie is so much work".  Pretty bad, I know. This is supposed to be a challenge right.  What can I say, I'm a cake girl.  I have made more cakes and cupcakes than I can count.  I make cakes for every occasion and just for the fun of it.  I am embarrassed to say, the number of pies I have attempted would easily fit on one hand.  I don't do lard, or margarine, they would never make it into my grocery cart and certainly not into my fridge.  But, everyone I know that makes great pies uses lard and their pies are amazing!  So what's a girl to do?....You guessed it, bring on the butter! This one's for you hubby, PIE!!!

Okay, this sounds terribly boastful, but here I go anyway...BEST PIE EVER!!!!!!!!! I was not expecting this pie to be tart, but it is, deliciously so....kind of like a nice tart strawberry rhubarb pie is.  I shall fear pie no longer. The butter pastry turned out beautifully, and did I mention that this pie is to die for. Seriously, you have to make this pie.

Buttery Rich Pie Pastry    (Make the pie pastry first, you will have time to prepare the fruit while the dough chills)
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter- cold, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks (save whites for brushing the top of the pie)
6-9 Tbsp cold water (use only as much as you need to form dough)

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add egg yolks and enough water to form dough.  Mix until dough just comes together. Turn out onto counter and knead until dough holds together nicely. Divide in two discs, wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 30 min or up to 2 days.

Filling

3 cups fresh mango, cut into 1cm x 1cm cubes.

3 cups fresh strawberries sliced

2 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients and toss well.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and roll out each disc into a circle just a little bigger in circumference than your pie plate.  Press one circle of dough into pie plate. Pour fruit filling into pie shell.  Top with remaining pie dough. Trim edges and seal the edge. Brush with egg whites beaten with a little water.

 Bake on rack on lower 1/3 of oven for 15 min @ 425°; Reduce heat to 350° and bake until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly, about 40 min.

Allow to cool a bit. Serve with vanilla ice cream.  Seriously BEST PIE EVER!!!!!