Mango Peach Pie with Ginger Streusel

This delicious pie sports a no-fail whole wheat crust that yes, even people with a pie-making phobia can master

Say it: Yes, pie can!

Accept that as your mantra for those of you out there who are desperately afraid of making pie crust. If that sounds like you, you are not alone. Of all the comments I get, the most common is: “I’m scared to make pie crust.” Great home cooks I know who will shoot, pluck, brine, sous vide and deep fry an entire turkey with the ease of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich get agitated when I suggest they make a pie with me. Normally hyper-confident captains of industry, fearless civic leaders and ego-packed surgeon turn lily-livered when told to make a crust.

My brother wrote National Insecurity about the challengs of leading the country. Maybe I should write a cookbook called National Insecurity about American’s fear of making pie crust?

Mine crust looks kinda pretty, cuz I’ve been doing this awhile. I make ugly ones too.

Please, please, please try. If I promise you the Ghost of Grandmas Past will not visit shame upon you if your crust isn’t flaky enough, will you go for it?

That said, if enough people want, I’ll put together a video call and we can make pie crust together. Let me know in the comments.

See the lovely slivers of crystallized ginger?

And now to the pie filling! Peaches and mangoes both share a similar texture when cooked and the two flavors harmonize nicely, with a nice little descant provided by bits of crystallized ginger in the streusel.

You may absolutely slice and dice up fresh peaches and mangoes for this pie and tweak the sugar and lemon according to their sweetness. I used frozen for this because, how’s this for odd, I get a nasty rash from some mango skin. It seems mango skin contains, uroshiol, the same irritant as poison ivy. Mmmm. Rash talk. Sorry.

Have a go at this here pie. Of course you can use a frozen pie shell from the grocery. I’d rather you had pie than anxiety. However, maybe just maybe, you could try?

Peach Mango Pie with Ginger Streusel

Makes 1 9” pie

What You’ll Need:

1 whole-wheat pie crust (see below)

For the pie filling

16 ounces frozen sliced peaches

16 ounces frozen chopped mangoes

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup (56 grams) brown sugar

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch

For the ginger streusel

1/2 cup (85 grams) brown sugar

1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

8 ounces (113 grams) butter, cut into 16 pieces

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

What You’ll Need

3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (113 g) cold butter, cut into 16 pieces

1/4 cup ice water

Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water

What You’ll Do:

Make the crust:

1. Whisk together the flours and salt. Add the butter and toss it in the flour. Cut the butter into the flour using two knives or just get your hands in there and pinch the butter and toss it in the flour and pinch and toss until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the cold water (do not add the ice!). Use a fork to gradually mix the water into the flour mixture. Mix until the entire mixture is moistened and looks like wet sand. This will take about a 30 seconds longer than you think it should. Be patient. Bring the mixture together and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

While the crust is chilling, make the crumble:

1. In a medium bowl, put all the ingredients for the crumble. Using a similar technique to the crust, pinch the butter and toss it in the flour mixture. The difference here is you need to blend the butter into the mixture. You don’t want any streaks of butter. Get your hands in there! Slowly the mixture will begin to look crumbly, you know, like crumble. The crumble should be a variety of shapes and sizes, marble-size and pea-size. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the pie.

When it’s time to bake the pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of foil or parchment (to prevent a messy clean-up in case the pie bubbles over).

2. Dust a large pastry board or counter with flour. Roll the dough from the center outward, stopping 1” before the edge of the dough. Give the dough a quarter turn, roll again from the center outwards and repeat, turning and rolling, until the dough is around 1/8” thick and about 11 inches in circumference. If the dough cracks, stick it back together. If the same part cracks again, use a teeny bit of water as glue, and stick the pieces back together.

3. Fold the dough in half, gently lift it up and place it in a pie plate. Unfold the dough. Cut away any excess dough, leaving a 1-inch excess of crust. Tuck under the overhanging dough to form a crust, then crimp the crust with a fork, or do something pretty by pinching the dough with your fingers.

4. Make the egg wash by beating the egg and water together. Brush the crust with a thin layer of the wash. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.

5. Make the filling: In a large bowl, mix together the peaches, mangoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, white sugar and corn starch.

6. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pie. Press down gently so the fruit is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the crumb over the top of the pie.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for a further 35 to 45 minutes or until the fruit mixture is bubbly and the crumble is golden brown. If at any point the crumble is getting too brown and the fruit is bubbling yet, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pie.

8. Leave to cool on the counter. Do not leave the pie to cool on a windowsill if you live near Jellystone Park.

9. Serve with ice cream, but I don’t think I really needed to tell you that.

Are you afraid to make pie crust? Why? Are there other recipes that make you nervous? I admit that even with a culinary degree making custard puts me on edge. Lay it out for me people. Be honest. Also: Please come find me on Threads @marissarothkopfeats. It’s kind of lonely there without all of you.

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