Mango Cream Pie

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh 

I love ripe sweet mangoes, but unfortunately in NH you rarely get mangoes that are sweet and ripe when you buy them.  Too much of our grocery store fruit looks ripe, smells ripe but doesn’t taste ripe.  I’ve also decided that frozen mango, canned mango in syrup or glass jars of mango just don’t compare to flavor of fresh mango.

I saw a recipe for mango cream pie and had some mangoes.  The recipe was the regular milk, sugar, corn starch and eggs plus mango. I made it, didn’t taste enough of mangoes and who wants to heat up a kitchen and have to wait for custard to cool in the heat.  I was going to make cream and mango set with gelatin then remembered another summer dessert recipe we enjoy.  Our local Indian restaurant had a dessert on the buffet that was commercial, ready made banana pudding mixed with canned fruit. I used instant vanilla jello pudding, mango juice/nectar and fresh fruit.  Made in a few minutes and everyone loves it.  That’s my quick version #2, I also make a variation of my dirt pie #1, we think is even more delicious but dirties more bowls and higher calories. We also prefer this mango cream on its own, not in a cookie crumb crust, so it’s smooth and velvety – except if you finish with some toasted almonds or madacamia nuts.

Note: I buy ‘Best’ mango juice, 32 oz bottle, $2.99, 50% juice, with water and sugar and nothing else.  imported seasonally from Egypt. The bottle I bought last week in my regular grocery store, had a 12 month shelf life, unopened.  You can buy a 12 oz small bottle or can of juice, but many brands are much lower quantities of mango, less flavor plus additives. (www.aitco-best.com)

Directions:

Mango Cream #1

2 ripe, sweet ataulfo/champagne/alphonso mangoes or other mangoes that are sweet and ripe. Cut either side of mango to get 2 ‘cheeks’. Place ‘cheek’ on chopping board, skin side down, cut a tic-tac-toe pattern in flesh, push skin so mango flesh sticks out and carefully cut the cubes away from the skin. Carefully cut off side skin and remove flesh, then carefully cut off flesh left on mango stone.  Do all of this on chopping board, not in your hand.

In large bowl mix:

1 box instant vanilla pudding (normal 4 oz box) with 1+1/2 c mango juice/nectar using electric mixer or whisk. NOT the 2 cups of milk you normally use for an instant vanilla jello pudding, it won’t thicken as much.

Then while still runny add 1/2 cup of heavy cream whisked with 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp xanthan gum until stiff. I find adding xanthan gum helps mango cream to stay thicker.  Omit xanthan gum if you want.

In another bowl mix:

4 oz (half a normal packet) softened cream cheese (I use lite) with

1/4 c, 2 oz, 1/2 stick soft butter

then mix in

1/2 c powdered sugar

Then mix both bowls together using electric mixer until totally blended and no visible streaks.  Try and do this while vanilla pudding mix is still quite soft. Stir in mango pieces. Turn into 6 c pretty bowl for serving. Mixture will set reasonably firm, but spoonable not sliceable. Refrigerate so flavors blend. I like to finish bowl with more whipped cream, toasted almonds, more mango.

Mango Cream #2.

This is the quick lazy version. One mixing bowl.

2 ripe, sweet ataulfo/champagne/alphonso mangoes or other mangoes that are sweet and ripe. Cut either side of mango to get 2 ‘cheeks’. Place ‘cheek’ on chopping board, skin side down, cut a tic-tac-toe pattern in  flesh, push skin so mango flesh sticks out and carefully cut the cubes from the skin. Carefully cut off side skin and remove flesh, then carefully cut off flesh left on mango stone.  Do all of this on chopping board, not in your hand.

In large bowl mix:

1 box instant vanilla pudding (normal 4 oz box) with

1+1/2 c mango juice/nectar using electric mixer or whisk. NOT the 2 cups of milk you normally use for an instant vanilla jello pudding, it won’t thicken as much.

Stir in mango and chill.  that’s it. Add the same whipped cream to mix if you want.

Try other fruits with other fruit juices. I made a bowl to take for a girl’s RV camping weekend and it vanished. It’s even good for breakfast. Put into individual bowls with lids for packed lunch or beach picnic. Fresh bananas, strawberries and blueberries.