Credits: Farah Siddique
It’s impossible for anyone to think of the upcoming days for Eid without automatically being in a good mood for the next hour. Why, you ask? Because of all the paunch increasing sugary treats that are about to come our way! Mithai, halwa and trifles galore will rule the next three days of your life (and stomach) and when the season calls for mangoes, there’s definitely no stopping. Following are some amazing, mouth watering and super easy Mango desserts that you can try this eid to make it more flavorful
1- Coconut and mango sponge:
Ingredients:
•425g can sliced mango in syrup, drained
•200g butter , softened
•225g golden caster sugar
•4 large eggs
•200g self-raising flour
•50g desiccated coconut , plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling
•140g Greek-style coconut yogurt
Method:
Step1 - Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with 2 strips of criss-crossed baking parchment. Dry the mango pieces on some kitchen paper, then chop into 3cm pieces and set aside.
STEP 2- place the butter and sugar into a bowl, and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Use a spatula to fold through the flour and coconut, then the mango pieces and yogurt. Scrape the mixture into your tin and smooth over the surface, then sprinkle with a little extra coconut. Bake for 30 mins until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. This cake is delicious served warm with an extra blob of coconut yogurt, or just as good cold. Keeps in a tin for up to 3 days.
2- Mango and coconut trifle:
Transform the humble trifle into a modern dessert with the help of mango, rum and coconut flavors. It makes a marvelousdessert
Ingredients:
•3 gelatin leaves
•50ml orange juice
•250g canned mango pulp
•8 sponge fingers
•1 ripe mango, halved, peeled and sliced
•16 fresh or frozen raspberries
•400ml can coconut milk
•600ml double cream
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•3 egg yolks
•80g caster sugar
•1 tbsp cornflour
•3 tbsp milk
•80g coconut flakes
•1 lime, zested
Method:
•Put the gelatin in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 10 mins. Meanwhile, warm the orange juice in a small pan over a low heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatin, then whisk into the juice over the heat until the gelatin has dissolved. Don’t let the mixture bubble, or the jelly won’t set. Stir in the mango pulp until combined.
•STEP 2Divide the sponge fingers between four dessert glasses, breaking to fit if needed, and press into the bases. , then add a few mango slices and four raspberries each. Spoon the jelly mixture into the glasses so the fruit and sponges are covered. Chill for 2 hrs until set.
•STEP 3Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously until reduced by about a third. Whisk in half the cream and all the vanilla, then bring everything to a simmer.
•STEP 4Mix the egg yolks with 50g sugar, the cornflour and milk in a large heatproof bowl until smooth. Slowly pour in the hot coconut cream while whisking to incorporate. Return to the saucepan over a medium-low heat, stirring for 5-7 mins until you have a thick but pourable custard. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and cover the surface with baking parchment. Leave to cool completely, then chill for at least 1 hr, or up to 24 hrs.
•STEP 5Pour the custard over the set jellies and chill for another 2 hrs.
•STEP 6Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 5. Sprinkle the coconut flakes over a baking sheet and bake for 4 mins, or until just toasted.
•STEP 7Whip the remaining cream with the rest of the sugar to soft peaks using an electric whisk and spoon over the custard layer. Sprinkle over the lime zest and toasted coconut. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.
3- Mango ice cream:
Ingredients:
•1 cup of fresh mangoes
•Heavy or whipping cream
•White sugar to your taste
Method:
•Make a mango puree: dice the pulp of your mango, taking care to remove the skin, and add it to the blender. Tase the pulp, add sugar accordingly, and blend until it is smooth without adding any water. You can also skip this step by using canned mango puree!
•Add the cream to a mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. You can also use a manual hand whisk if you don’t have the electrical appliances at home.
•Add the mango puree to the whipped cream and mix for 1-2 minutes until they are well combined. Taste it and add more powdered sugar if it’s needed.
•Pour the combined mango and cream mixture into a freezer-friendly container with a lid. Close the lid tightly. Freeze the ice cream for 5-6 hours, or until it is set.
•Ready to eat? Take the mango ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw for 5 minutes to let it soften a little. Scoop and serve!
4- Quick mango pudding:
If you've taken time to make a special main course, why not take the pressure off and serve this simple but delicious pudding.
Ingredients:
•1 cup mango pulp
•3 tablespoon hot water
•1 teaspoon agar powder
•3/4 cup milk
•1/4 cup condensed milk
Method:
•If you are using fresh mango, peel and dice the mango. Blend diced mango in a blender or food processor until smooth puree.
•Pour 3 tablespoons water in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon agar agar powder. Mix well and cook until it dissolves completely. If you are using agar agar flakes(strands) instead of agar agar powder, cut the flakes into small pieces using a scissor and then cook it in water in a pan until it dissolves completely.
•Meanwhile, heat 3/4 cup millk in the same pan over medium flame. Let it heat for 3-4 minutes. Then, add 1/4 cup condensed milk and turn off the flame. Mix well. There is no need to boil the milk.
•Add dissolved agar agar mixture to the milk and mix well. Let the milk cool for a few minutes. Add mango puree. Mix well.
•Pour it into 3 individual serving bowls. Cover the bowls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours before serving.
•Garnish with fresh diced mango or dry fruits and serve.
5- Mango macaron:
Ingredients: •. 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
•¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
•60 grams granulated sugar
•110 grams almond flour, sifted
•200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
•gel food coloring, optional
Mango Puree
•1 large mango, peeled and cored
Mango Buttercream
•113 grams unsalted butter
•180 grams powdered sugar
•1 tablespoon mango puree
•¼ teaspoon salt
Method:
•Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
•In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
•Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar (make sure to add the sugar in very slowly so that the meringue doesn’t deflate). Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add in 2-3 drops of orange gel food coloring (if desired) and then continue to whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
•Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients. Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
•Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe 1 inch rounds. Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
•Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
•While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
•Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
•Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.