Recipe for Easy Mango-Peach Blackberry Pie

Last year I suggested making my Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie for Easter, and gave a tip for a pie crust short-cut. This year, I experimented with something different.

Earlier this week I mentioned impulsively buying a crate of mangos at Costco. When I got them home, I realized they were so ripe that it would be a challenge for us to eat them all before they spoiled. After using some of the mangos in smoothies and salads, I decided to make a pie with the rest.

I think fruit pies are fun, because it is easy to come up with creative combinations of fruit to put in them.  I was a little uncertain as to what the texture and taste of just a mango pie would be like, so I decided to add
the pint of blackberries I happened to have, and a can of sliced peaches. (Fresh peaches would have been even better, but canned was all I had.)

I had never used phyllo dough as a pie crust before but I decided to give it a try. It made a really flakey crust, and my family liked it. I think it takes a little practice to get the outside crust edges really pretty - and I might experiment a little next time with baking times and temperatures so the edges don't get quite so browned. 

I apologize that my directions for the number of phyllo sheets needed is a little vague. I wasn't planning to write about this pie until after I tasted it, so I didn't really count how many sheets I used!  If anyone has a perfect way to make a crust with phyllo, it would be great if you could leave any hints in the comments! My way was adequate, but could use a little fine-tuning. I normally won't publish a recipe until I get it perfect - but with Easter coming up, this recipe is just too good not to share!

Instead of phyllo dough, this filling would go well in whatever pie crust you prefer. 

Mango-Peach Blackberry Pie

Printable Recipe: Click here.
Thaw phyllo dough according to package directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. (after 5 minutes reduce to 325 degrees F.) *

Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.

* Note: (Most recipes recommend initially heating phyllo dough at 425 F for a few minutes, but a reader suggested in order to prevent the pie crust from getting too brown, it is better to start at a lower temperature. See comments below.)

Ingredients:
2 cups mango (roughly chopped)
14 oz. can sliced peaches in water, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 tsp. orange zest
additional 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

~1/4 cup melted butter 
10 to 15 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
~1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Method:

Prepare filling:

1. Combine mango, peach slices, 1/2 cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes.  Slowly add cornstarch mixture, and continue to cook at medium heat, stirring constantly until juice is thickened, about 3 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, gently combine blackberries, cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange zest.
3. Fold mango peach-mixture gently into blackberries, trying to keep as many berries whole as possible.

Prepare crust:

1. Unwrap phyllo and lay it out flat; keep the sheets you are not working with covered by a damp kitchen towel, to protect them from drying out.
2. Gently lay a sheet of phyllo in the greased pie pan, centering it and lightly pressing it down so that it conforms to the inside of the pan, with the edges hanging over the sides.
3. Brush all over lightly with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with graham cracker crumbs.
4. Repeat with 5 - 8 more phyllo sheets. (I like a thicker crust so I used about 9 or 10 total.) Place them so the edges are all angled differently, ending up with an even amount layered all around the circle of the pie.  I kept gently tucking these edges under, forming a built up layer.  
5. Once you are happy with the thickness of your crust, add filling.
6. Lay 3 more layers of phyllo on top of pie to form a thin top crust, angling them differently, and tucking their edges in as before.  Cut 3 or 4 slits for ventilation.

Bake pie at 425 degrees F. for 5 minutes, then decrease temperature to 325 degrees F. and place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely on top (to prevent browning). Bake an additional 40 minutes or so, until filling begins to bubble.  You may remove the foil for the last few minutes to brown the crust, as needed.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm - and don't forget to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 What are you serving for dessert this weekend?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!