Experimental Pie Awesomeness!!

Gingered Honey Melon Mango Peach Pie

   I totally feel like a rock star!  This is my acceptance speech.  The speech where I thank all of those that helped me create this magnificent pie.  The speech where I say something about not being where I am today without the tireless efforts of others.  And while that is all true.  It's more like thanking those who listened to me go on and on about it.  Believe me when I say I talked to a lot of people about the mango melon pie!  So thanks to all of you who participated in one way or another.
   The pie above is a slight departure from the original idea of mango-melon.  Because, as was mentioned in a previous post, I had some difficulty wrapping my head around the idea of mango in a pie.  After almost a year of thinking about how to create this pie, a friend suggested reducing the melon and then adding it to other fruit.  This seemed like a good plan.  And I like a good plan.
   I had previously mentioned that I wanted to use ginger and honey in combination with the fruit.  So what I ended up doing was this; I put honey and fresh ginger in a pan with cantaloupe and reduced the hell out of it.  After letting it cool, I added it to the fruit.
   For the fresh fruit portion of the pie, I chose half mango and half peach.  I have to say that this is a brilliant combination even without the smoke and mirrors of the gingered honey melon reduction.  Along with the fresh fruit and the reduced melon, I added a bit of Saigon cinnamon and a pinch of cumin...just because.  I also had to add a generous amount of cornstarch to thicken the whole mess.  This was a little worrisome because I had to make an educated guess.  In the end, I put more than I normally would and it was perfect.
   I should also say that no other sweetener was used in the making of the pie.  I used only the honey in the reduction.  And once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. For the crust, I made my standard all butter crust recipe then added 1 tsp of honey, as well.
   There are a few things that I might tweak a bit.  But, I think it's safe to say that it is the best pie that I have ever made. The lesson learned - listen to your friends.  They are pretty smart. And they tolerate your incessant ramblings about pie. That says a lot!