Secret Recipe Club: Mango Pie Bars

Happy June, amigos! It's the beginning of a new month, which means that it's time for The Secret Recipe Club big reveal. I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things about blogging is discovering new blogs to follow and making new friends. This month I was assigned a new-to-me blog called Sweet as Sugar Cookies written by Lisa. True to it's title, Lisa's blog is full of sweet and delicious treats. Some of the recipes that caught my attention were the Baked Pears w/ Feta Cheese Lisa made last month for SRC, Honey Yogurt Bread, Spicy Peach BBQ Chicken, Mango Bread, and Peach Pie Bars. I finally decided to go with the Peach Pie Bars, because they just sounded like the perfect summer dessert.

My only problem was that I couldn't find fresh peaches, and I really didn't want to use canned peaches for this dessert nor did I want to make something else. My heart, mind, and stomach were set on having the Peach Pie Bars. So, I turned to one of my favorite summer fruits and made Mango Pie Bars instead.

Oh my goodness! This just might be my new go-to mango dessert. I still can't get over how amazing they were. They tasted like Peach Pie and Peach Cobbler all rolled into one. Thank you so much for this recipe, Lisa! My Hubby & kiddies thank you too.

Mango Pie Squares
(Recipe adapted from Sweet as Sugar Cookies & Pink Parsley)

Crust & topping ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Mango filling:

4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Mexican crema (You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt.)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
4 ripe mangos, peeled and roughly chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust and topping. Using a potato masher (or pastry blender) cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1-1/2 cups of the crumbly mixture. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

While the crust is cooling, whisk together the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar, Mexican crema, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until well combined. Gently stir in the chopped mangoes. Pour mixture over slightly cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture on top of the mango filling. Return to oven and bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm, or cool completely and chill in refrigerator for atleast 2 hours. To serve cut into squares and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!