No-bake mango cheesecake


Philippine mango season maybe over but that doesn't mean late season produce back home will not trickle up here in smoggy Hongkong ! I was just lucky enough to find some cheap mangoes at the supermarket few days ago , a bit on the small side but it tastes sweet much to my surprise ! I usually hoard some seasonal fruits like strawberries , cherries and blueberries and freeze them but it's hard to do with mangoes . Why ? Because almost all the time the mango slices will fall into my mouth and not into  freezer bag pfffft ! I just can't resist juicy and sweet mangoes especially during its season and that's the best time to freeze as much as you can just in case , you know , a sudden craving of something that reminds you of home ..... 

In this cheesecake , the trick is to use a very sweet mangoes and cooking the mango flesh is the best way to extract its wonderful flavour . Unlike last time when I made a mango entremet where I added mango extract to add more mango flavour to each layer as the mangoes that I used were a bit tasteless . 

I used my stash of very sweet frozen mangoes in this no-bake cheesecake as the fresh ones that I bought though sweet pales in comparison when it comes to flavour . 


The recipe is almost the same as the No-bake ube cheesecake I made last time . I just guesstimated the amount that will nicely fit in my 6-inch mousse ring and if I have 200 grams instead of 155 grams cream cheese at that time this cake will be much more taller . You'll need a 6 x 3-inch for this recipe and loose-bottom pan will be much better than using a springform pan , alternately , you can use a 7-inch pan or use several small mousse rings or some clear water glasses or plastic dessert cups .

If using gelatin powder instead of gelatin sheets , you need to adjust the amount especially if the weather is hot but you can use the same amount if that's your preference . You also have to take into consideration the amount of  liquid in mango purée so adjust accordingly .

For the mango topping , I used 6 mangoes but they were on a small side so I only got about about 10 pieces of ( half ) balls in each mango . To make a nice and ( almost ) neat topping , slightly stack the second circle ( or line ? ) of mango balls on top of each other . Mango ball will slide off as you stack it so you need a bit of patience and chilling the balls will help . To make mango balls , you need a melon baller , if it's not available , just cut mango flesh into a small and uniform cubes .

To make the mango topping stay in place , you need to add a wine jelly . I didn't actually use all the jelly maybe about two-thirds of it , just enough to hold mango together . Initially , the taste of wine is a bit stronger , not being a wine or beer drinker , so even a small amount of alcohol is too much for me but after a day , the taste of it will dissipates . You can use sweetened lime or lemon juice instead of wine to make the jelly .

This recipe is flexible / forgiving , just adjust ingredients especially the gelatin accordingly . 

The taste of this cheesecake ?! Imagine you're eating Häagen dazs mango ice cream ..... But then I tend to exaggerate 😁 Remember to use the very sweet mangoes in this cheesecake , you can get away by using a slightly sweet mangoes for your topping but never in cheesecake ! If you can find Philippine mangoes and the sweet ones , thank you vey much , so much the better !


Makes one 6 x 2-inch cheesecake with about 1/2-inch fresh mango topping 

Recipe can be easily doubled to fit nicely in 8 or 9-inch ring / pan 

Mango purée :

465 grams sliced ( very sweet ) Philippine mangoes , frozen or fresh 
35 grams caster sugar 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

* In a small saucepan , combine mangoes , sugar and lemon juice , stir to combine . Let stand for 30 minutes before cooking . 

* Let mixture boil over medium heat then turn down heat to low , simmer for about 15 minutes or until mangoes are very soft . Strain cooked mangoes through a fine sieve for smoother texture . Let cool completely before using . Make it a day ahead . Yield is 365 ml , leftover can be frozen . 

Crust : 

120 grams Biscoff cookies , finely crushed 
40 grams salted butter , melted 

* Combine crumbs and butter together and press into the bottom of a 6x 3-inch mousse ring or a loose-bottom or springform pan . Use the back of the spoon ( or a glass with smooth bottom ) to smoothen and neaten the crumbs . Chill or freeze in the fridge for 30 minutes . 

Cheesecake batter : 

8 grams gelatin sheets 
10 grams drinking water 
150 grams ( whipping ) cream 
155 grams cream cheese , softened at room temperature 
40 grams condensed milk 
150 grams mango purée 

* Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes or until softened . 

* Whip cream until stiff peaks form , do not over mix , chill in the fridge until needed . 

* Beat cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth and fluffy , add in mango purée and beat until just combined . 

* Squeeze off excess water from softened gelatin , combine with water in a bowl and place bowl in a prepared hot water bath or a pan of barely simmering water . Stir until gelatin is melted completely . Pour melted gelatin immediately into the cream cheese mixture , mix thoroughly . Fold in the whipped cream until well combined . 

* Pour batter into crust and gently shake mousse ring to smoothen the top . Chill for at least 4 hours before adding in the mango balls and pouring in the wine jelly . 

* Chill cheesecake overnight . 

To unmould cheesecake , ran a hairdryer around the sides of the mousse ring so as the top . Gently shake the mousse ring as you lift it , the cake will easily pop out . Chill again for another 30 minutes before serving . 

Mango balls topping : 

6 ( depending on size ) ripe and sweet mangoes , scoop out as many mango ( half ) balls as you can using a melon baller . Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before using . 

*  When cheesecake is stable enough , arrange the 1st circle of mango balls around the edge of the cheesecake then stacking the 2nd circle slightly over the first circle , do so with the next until surface / top is completely covered with mango balls . 

* Gently pour in the wine jelly on top of mango balls , making sure each piece is sprinkle with jelly so that mango balls will ( mostly ) stay in place when you cut the cheesecake . 

Wine jelly topping , recipe adapted here

25 grams white wine 
25 grams drinking water 
1 teaspoon lime juice 
10 grams sugar 
1 gram gelatin sheet , soak until softened 

* Combine ingredients above in a small bowl and place it over a pan of barely simmering water . Stir until gelatin is completely melted . Let cool slightly before pouring in on top of mango balls . 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts