I love peaches and mangoes and realized a few years ago that they are wonderful together. So this year I decided to put them together in a pie and it is exquisite! I made this for Thanksgiving dinner with my family, and everyone enjoyed it. Many people, however, have to wait until the weekend to gather with loved ones, or have to split their time between different parts of the family. You still have time to wow your family with this pie! And of course, other holidays plus New Year’s are just days away, and who doesn’t love pie?
This recipe makes a large, deep-dish pie or 2 small pies.
The Inside Scoop
When both volume and weight measures are provided, the volume measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will be less than 1 cup.
Both butter and lard or shortening are used in this pie crust. Butter and lard make pie crusts flaky; shortening makes pie crust tender. However, vegan butter or shortening can be substituted for butter to make a vegan pie crust.
When making pie crust, the key is: Keep it cold! Place the stick of butter, if using, in the freezer for approximately 1 hour. Refrigerate the lard so it is very cold. If using shortening, wrap the shortening in plastic and freeze for at least one hour until firm. Then, using either a hand grater or the grating tool of a food processor, grate the frozen butter before adding it to the flour mix. Do not attempt to grate the shortening; it is still too soft. If the grated butter is not used immediately, return it to the refrigerator. Part of a pie crust’s flakiness is due to the steam that is generated as the butter and lard or shortening melts.
I use a mix of water and alcohol in my pie crusts because pie crusts are meant to be flaky. This means that one wants to avoid forming gluten, which can make for a tough crust. Flour contains gluten proteins. Water attaches to the flour and hydrates the gluten proteins in flour, thus aiding in gluten formation. Alcohol does not hydrate the flour’s gluten proteins and therefore does not aid in forming gluten. Therefore, substituting alcohol for half of a pie crust’s liquid contributes to an amazingly flaky crust. And using a flavored alcohol, in this case, peach brandy, adds a wonderful flavor to the pie crust. (Yes, I have had people insist that they can’t let a single crumb of crust go to waste because it is SO GOOD!)
Place the butter and lard, if using, in the bottom of a food processor’s bowl. Add the flour, salt, sugar and shortening. Pulse for 2 seconds three to four times until butter and lard are the size of peas. This ensures a uniform rise as the butter and lard melt and turn to steam during baking.
Butter and lard cut into the flour mix to the size of small peas.
Combine the ice water and alcohol in a measuring cup. Pour into the feed tube of the food processor while pulsing. (A funnel might help here if the liquid runs down the outside of the measuring cup.) Pulse until dough just comes together into a ball. Do not overwork.
Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a flattened ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
For an even flakier crust, laminate the dough. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a long rectangle.
Visually divide the dough into 3 equal parts. From the narrow end, lift 1/3 of the dough and fold it over the middle third.
First fold.
Then lift the other narrow end of the dough and fold it on top of the other two-thirds.
Roll out the dough again into a long rectangle, rolling the rough ends away from you. Again, from the narrow, rough end, fold 1/3 of the dough over the middle third. Fold the other narrow, rough end of the dough over the middle two-thirds. Turn the dough 1/4 turn.
Roll out the dough again, fold and turn 2 more times. Divide dough in half, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
You may be wondering: “Why are there so many more peaches than mangoes?” That is because peaches have a wonderfully sweet but mild taste, while yellow mangoes have a wonderfully sweet but stronger taste. More peaches are added than mangoes to balance the flavors. And I prefer yellow mangoes to the larger green mangoes because yellow mangoes have a better flavor.
Once the dough is in the refrigerator to chill, prepare the filling. If using canned peaches, drain the peaches and then measure. You will probably need at least three 15-ounce cans of peaches packed in peach juice. For the mangoes, use a vegetable peeler to peel the mangoes, then use a knife to slice down along the pit and remove that wonderful mango flesh. Cut the mango into slices and put in a bowl with the peaches. Add the sugar and flour, mix, and set aside.
Once the filling is ready, it is time to roll out the pie crust. Divide the crust pastry into two sections: a little less than 2/3s for the bottom crust and a little more than 1/3 for the top crust. Roll out the bottom crust until is is 1/16″ to 1/8″ thick. Then carefully place your pie plate upside down on the crust pastry and cut a circle that is 2 1/2″ to 3″ larger than the width of the pie plate. (Deep dish pie plates differ in depth.) Then VERY CAREFULLY, so you don’t tear a hole in your crust pastry, remove the pie plate and set it aside.
Gather up the scraps that were cut off and roll into a long “rope.” It may be easier to roll the pastry rope in 2-3 more manageable lengths. Put a couple tablespoons of ice water into a small bowl. Dip your finger into the ice water and dampen the lip of the pie plate. Press the pastry rope onto the lip of the pie plate. The small amount of water used to dampen the lip of the plate will help to hold the crust in place and prevent it from shrinking without “gluing” it to the edge of the pie plate.
Roll the bottom crust onto your rolling pin. Use your finger to dampen the top of the pastry rope, then unroll the pie crust into the pie plate. You can also fold the pie crust in fourths and place it in the pie plate. Ease the crust INTO the pie plate to ensure that there are no gaps between the pie plate and the crust. It is important to ease the crust INTO the pie plate rather than press the crust out of the pie plate to prevent shrinkage.
Next, roll out the top crust. Pour the pie filling into the pie:
Dip your finger into the bowl of water and dampen the edge of the bottom pie crust. Roll the top crust onto the rolling pin or fold the top crust in fourths, and place on top of the pie. Trim the excess pie crust below the lip of the pie plate. Then fold the edge of the top crust under the bottom crust, press together, and finish with the desired edging. Take a knife and “knock up” the edge of the pie crust to create a very flaky crust edge. (Don’t be surprised when people start eating the pie crust first!)
If desired, roll out the scraps of crust pastry to approximately 1/16″ thick, cut out the desired shapes (I used a round cookie cutter and a leaf stamp to make “peaches”), dampen the back of your decorative pieces, and place them on top of the pie crust to create a beautifully decorated pie. (And if you are making multiple types of 2-crust pies, this makes it easier to keep track of which pie has what filling.)
Very important: Cut four slits on top of the pie to allow steam to escape. And to create that beautiful golden finish, whisk an egg and measure out about 1/2 of the egg (use the other half of egg within 3 days in your favorite egg dish or as scrambled eggs) and place in a small bowl with about 1 tablespoon of water. Then use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash onto the top of the pie crust. And if you like a shiny finish, sprinkle a little coarse sugar onto the egg wash.
At this point, refrigerate the pie while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put a baking sheet in the oven so that it, too, preheats. If you have ever watched the Great British Baking Show, you know how hard the bakers try to avoid the dreaded “soggy bottom.” When the pie plate is place onto the preheated baking sheet, the baking sheet immediately begins to heat up the bottom of the pie plate and reduces the chance of a soggy bottom.
You may have read pie recipes that tell you “if the crust begins to brown before the pie is baked, cover with aluminum foil.” Foil will help prevent the crust from burning. There is just one problem with taking this measure AFTER the crust has browned: The crust is already too brown! A deep-dish pie with a lot of pie filling may need to bake almost 1 1/2 hours before the filling is set. Instead, I learned a trick years ago to get that perfect golden crust finish: Cover the edge of the crust with foil BEFORE placing the pie in the oven. Then remove the foil during the last 15-20 minutes of baking to give the crust a beautiful golden finish.
Be sure to let your pie COOL COMPLETELY before cutting into it. And then: ENJOY!
A delicious Peach and Mango pie with an incredibly flaky, flavorful crust. You will want to save lots of room for this dessert! For the Pie Crust: Combine the ice water and brandy or lemon juice in a measuring cup; set aside. Grate the frozen butter with the grating tool of a food processor or by hand with a hand-held grating tool. Remove the grating tool and insert the pastry tool into the food processor. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and lard or shortening to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the butter and lard are the size of small peas. With the food processor running, pour the water and brandy through the feed tube of the food processor, pulsing in 1-2 second bursts until the pastry comes together into a ball. Remove the pastry from the bowl of the food processor and shape it into a flattened ball. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 min. For an even flakier crust, laminate the dough: To laminate the dough, after 15 minutes, remove the pie crust pastry from the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle. Visually divide the dough into 3 parts. From the narrow end, lift 1/3 of the dough and fold it over to cover the middle third. Lift the other narrow end of the dough and fold it on top of the other 2/3s. Roll the pastry out again into a long rectangle, rolling the rough ends away from you. Again, from the narrow, rough end, fold 1/3 of the dough over the middle third. Fold the other, narrow rough end of the pastry over the middle 2/3s. Turn the pastry ¼ turn. Roll out again, fold and turn ¼ turn 2 more times. Wrap the pastry in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. While the crust pastry is chilling, make the filling: Pour the canned peaches into a sieve and drain, or peel fresh peaches, remove the stones, and slice. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the mangoes. Run a knife along the two sides of the pit to remove the mango flesh and slice the mango flesh. Put the prepared peach slices and prepared mango slices into a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and flour and mix; set aside. This can be made as two small pies or one large deep-dish pie. Directions will refer to one deep dish pie. Put 2-3 tablespoons of cold water into a small bowl; set aside. Remove the crust pastry from the refrigerator. Cut off about 2/3 of the pastry and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a large circle about 1/16” to 1/8” thick on a floured surface. Carefully place the pie plate upside down on the pastry dough and cut out a large circle about 2 ½” to 3” larger than the pie plate. Carefully remove the pie plate and gather up the cut-off pastry. Roll the cut-off pastry into a long rope. (It may be easier to roll it into 2 or 3 sections.) Dip your finger into the water in the small bowl and dampen the upper lip of the pie plate. Place the pastry rope onto the lip of the pie plate and press down so that the pastry rope sticks to the upper edge of the pie plate. Dip your finger into the water in the small bowl and dampen the top of the pastry rope. Fold the rolled-out pastry dough in fourths and transfer to the pie plate OR roll the crust pastry onto the rolling pin and unroll onto the pie plate. Ease the pastry dough INTO the pie plate until the pastry fits to the pie plate. Trim off the excess pastry below the lip of the pie plate. Dip your finger into the water in the small bowl and dampen the edge of the crust pastry. On a floured surface, roll out the remaining pastry for the upper crust. Pour the filling into the pie plate. Roll the pastry dough for the top crust onto the rolling pin and roll out onto the top of the pie, or fold the top crust in fourths, place on top of the pie, and unfold. Trim off the excess pastry below the lip of the pie plate. Tuck the edge of the top crust slightly under the bottom crust. Shape the edge as desired and use a knife to “knock up” the edge of the crust. Use the remaining scraps of pastry to decorate the top of the pie, if desired. Press together any remaining scraps, use the rolling pin to roll the scraps out until smooth, shape into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic cling wrap, and refrigerate or freeze to use later (e.g., for a mini tart or a mini galette-style pie.) Cut 4 slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Whisk the Finishing egg, if using; pour about half of it into a small bowl. (Place the rest of the whisked egg into a resealable container and use within 3 days, e.g., in scrambled eggs.) Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the egg wash onto the top of the pie. Sprinkle the coarse sugar on top of the pie to create a shiny appearance. Refrigerate the pie while the oven preheats. Set a baking rack in the middle of the oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the edge of the pie with aluminum foil. Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, remove the foil and bake an additional 15-30 minutes until the pie crust is lightly browned and pie filling appears set. Once done, place the pie on a cooling rack and let set until completely cool. Enjoy!Peach Mango Pie with a Vegan Option
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