No-Bake Mango Yogurt Cheesecake

No bake desserts are perfect in this heat! This mango yogurt cheesecake does not require turning on your oven, and it's super quick and easy from start to finish.

The mango yogurt and whipped cream in the cream cheese mix lighten the cheesecake and make it an indulgent yet refreshing treat. I doubled the amount of mango cubes called for in the original recipe and loved how each bite has the perfect ratio of sweet mango cubes to cream. I used "1/3 less fat" Philadelphia cream cheese and Chobani mango yogurt to lessen the guilt and to intensify the mango-ness of it all, respectively. Butter was also lowered in the graham crust to have just enough moistness to hold the crumbs together and to not be too oily.

I am very pleased with how tasty and pretty this turned out (if you look past the gaps on the sides). Next time to give it a clean and even side, I will place the mango cubes toward the center and tap the pan after layering the top cream layer.

No-Bake Mango Yogurt Cheesecake

recipe adapted from Anncoo Journal (with step by step photos)
makes one 8" cake

Crust:

100g graham cracker crumbs
50g melted butter

1. Grease sides of a 8 inch removable cake pan and line the bottom.
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.
3. Press onto bottom of lined cake pan.
4.Chill in the fridge for later use.

Cheese filling:

226g "1/3 less fat" cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp cane  sugar or to taste
2 small tubs mango yogurt (meiji brand), about 280g
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
150g fresh topping cream/non-dairy whipping cream
2 fresh mango, cut to cubes
1 1/2 tbsp gelatin + 2 tbsp water

1. Put gelatin and water in a bowl and soak for a while. Then place it in a double boiler until gelatin dissolved. Keep warm.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with 3 tablespoon of fresh milk until smooth.

3. Pour in dissolved gelatin and mix well. 

4. Add mango yogurt and lemon juice into cheese mixture, continue beating until combined.
5. Whisk fresh topping cream until soft peak and pour into the cheese mixture, fold well.

6. Pour half of the cheese mixture into the prepared cake pan; add in mango cubes, followed by the remaining cheese mixture. 

7.  Set aside in the refrigerator.

Mango Topping:

2 fresh mangoes, chopped , about 194g
1 tbsp sugar or to taste
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp gelatin + 1 tbsp water

1. Put gelatin and water in a bowl and soak for awhile. Then place it in a double boiler until gelatin dissolved. Keep warm.
2. Blend chopped mangoes, lemon juice and sugar till smooth. 

3. Pour in dissolved gelatin and mix well.
4. Pour over cheesecake, gently shake the cake pan to distribute the mango puree and smooth the top with a palette knife. 

5. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and milk.

Add gelatin, mango yogurt, and lemon juice and continue beating.

Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture.

Layer half of cheese mixture onto prepared crust.

Layer mango cubes on top.

Top with rest of cheese mixture.

Note: layer mango cubes closer to center to minimize gaps on the sides.

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Great balance of rich cream cheese and tangy yogurt flavor. Love how the mildly sweetened cheese mixture pairs with the sweet mango cubes! Tip: use ripe mangoes!

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Creamy, fluffy, and not overly rich!

Mango Coconut Scones

Mango Coconut Scones

recipe adapted from Pastry Affair
recipe yields 8 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 lemons, zested
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream + extra for brushing
1 large egg
1 cup frozen mango chunks

1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened*

turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

the dough coming together

ready for baking

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)*
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. 

3. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse sand (alternatively, if using a stand mixer, mix in butter with paddle attachment until butter is pea-sized or smaller). 

4. Stir in frozen mango chunks and shredded coconut.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream and egg until well blended. 

6. Pour cream into flour mixture and mix until it comes together as a dough.
7. On a lightly floured surface, place dough and form into a circle, flattening the top until dough is roughly an inch thick. 

8. Cut dough into 8 pie-shaped pieces and transfer to a baking sheet. 

9. Brush with cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. 

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until scones are lightly browned. 

fresh out of the oven

These scones might be the best ones I've made yet (See my last scone: walnut cacao nibs scones). These scones were not too sweet with only 1 tbsp of sugar and some sweetness coming from the frozen mango chunks. I would probably add an extra tbsp or two next time to satisfy the sweet tooth, but the lower sweetness made these absolutely appropriate to be served during breakfast or brunch or as a late night snack!

The butter/cream taste of these scones was remarkable, especially highlighted with the lower sugar content. The texture was divine- crisp, flaky, moist and tender! I think I am getting close to the perfect scones!

I was actually really disappointed with how the scones looked when I pulled them out at the 20 minute mark. The scones were fluffy and tall, but they lacked the golden crisp tops of my dream scones. The scone was tender all around.

gorgeous!

crisp/dry exterior + moist/tender interior

I had another one the next morning. After 10 minutes of reheating at 350F, the scones turned out beautiful! How come they didn't turn out like this when I first pulled them out? Oven not at temperature? Bake time too short? I would up the oven temp next time for the 20 minutes and see how they turn out. 

Taste: 4 stars out of 5

Buttery and creamy! Mango and coconut flavor lost in the mix.

Texture: 5 stars out of 5 (after reheating)

Perfectly toasted crisp exterior and tender moist crumbs.

Also made this weekend: 

Carrot Guava Juice with Chia Seeds

Acai Bowls

Mini Mango Tartelettes

LooOOOOooooOOoooong time no see! This is the last thing I baked.. in the SUMMER! It's been a good 4 months since then. Stay tune for the next 3 weeks though! Winter break= many baking to be done! Haha. Hopefully I won't get too lazy (or full from eating). Fall quarter really dragged, especially this week (finals week). It was the first time I slept past 2am (on a final day) and had to wake up at 6am for a final! Only FOUR HOURS of sleep before two back to back finals from 8am to 230pm.. But whatever! I am done now!

I shall start my baking extravaganza after 1 or 2 days recuperation from the lack of sleep. In the mean time (right now), I will be compiling a list of goodies to bake! Avocado cream cheese cookies are on the top of my list at the moment. And maybe the daunting macaroons? Grocery run tmr!! WOOHOO! I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

Without further ado, here are the mini mango tartelettes! Honestly, I don't quite remember how they turned out. I believe I under- baked them a little. Definitely need to roll them out thinner next time! The taste was good. Tart-y the way I like them? -_- This was the first time I baked tartelettes, so I really don't have much to compare with. I guess compare to the store brought ones, texture and taste- wise.. they are still not up to par. But freshness beats! Hehe. If only they were fully baked and thinner, I think they would be excellente!



Mini Mango Tartelettes
Pastry Dough
recipe from Chocolate Shavings

200 grams of all-purpose flour
100 grams of very cold butter
30 grams of sugar (for savory, omit sugar)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg, beaten with 2 teaspoons of water

1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt directly onto a work surface.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces.
3. Mix the butter into the flour by using a metal pastry scraper to cut in the butter and fully incorporate it into the flour mixture. (You can also use your fingers, but if you do you must do it quickly to ensure that the butter stays as cold as possible.)
4. Once the dough has the texture of fine sand, create a well in the center by using a cup or a glass. Add the egg and water to the center.
5. Gently beat the egg in the center and slowly incorporate the flour into the center making sure that the well does not break.
6. Once most of the flour has been incorporated you can start using your hands.
7. Knead the dough and form a round ball of dough.
8. Take a small handful of the dough, and, using the palm of your hand, smear it out completely onto the counter surface. (*This process makes sure that the butter is fully incorporated into the dough, and helps form a dough that will be easy to work with.)
9. Re-form the smeared piece of dough, and repeat with the rest of the dough until you have a pile of chunks of dough.
10. Form it into a ball again.
11. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

12. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap and leave it out for a few minutes so it warms up a little.
13. Lightly flour your working surface and roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick round.
14. Use small cookie cutters to cut out circles of dough.
15. Place in buttered individual molds and gently prick the bottom of the dough with a fork a couple times.
16. Then, place a small circle of parchment (a little bigger than the size of the mold) in the center of the circle of dough and place some baking beans (or rice!) on top to weigh the paper down.
17. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the tart turn a light shade of golden brown.
18. Let the tartelettes cool for a couple minutes, discard the beans (or rice) and parchment paper and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Pastry Cream
(forgot where I got my recipe from)
2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
75g sugar
20g flour
20g cornstarch

1. Combine yolks with sugar.
2. Whisk until pale yellow (~3 minutes).
3. Stir cornstarch and flour and add to sugar yolk mixture.
4. Stir to remove lump.
5. Bring milk and extract to boil. Stir occasionally.
6. As milk starts to boil, add ladle of milk to flour/yolk mixture. Stir!
7. Add all flour/yolk mixture to milk and whisk until thickens (~1-3 minutes).
8. Remove from heat.
9. Cool.

NOMNOMNOM!

Mango Mochi (Take 2)

Mango Mochi
recipe from Do What I Like
-makes around 55 mochi (worth ~US$35 in Phoenix)
300g glutinous rice flour
60g rice flour
1 tbsp santan/coconut powder
1.5 tbsp corn oil
200ml hot water + 45g sugar (I would try using 50g of sugar next time)
160ml evaporated milk (I had no evaporated milk at hand and substituted it with whole milk)
240ml mangojuice
2 drops of mango essence, optional
2 ripe mangoes, cubed
dessicated coconut for coating

1. Sieve glutinous rice flour, rice flour and santan/coconut powder into a big mixing bowl. Add in the oil.
2. Dissolve sugar in 200ml of hot water. Add in the evaporated milk/ whole milk. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix till smooth and well blended. Stir in the mango nectar. Strain if mixture is lumpy.
3. Pour batter into a greased tray/bowl and steam on high heat for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from steamer and stir the cooked dough with a flat plastic knife till it is smooth. Leave aside to cool.
5. Wear a pair of plastic gloves and greased it with some oil. Take a roughly 20g piece of dough and flatten it into a round disc, wrap in as much mango cubes as desired. Seal the edges tightly and shape it into round balls. Coat the shaped mochi with dessicated coconut.
6. Serve chilled.


^before& after steaming


^my set up. (:




With this recipe, I had no trouble wrapping and sealing the mangoes in the mochi. The dough this time around is not near sticky as the dough from take 1. I made 55 mochi in .. 20 minutes? Pretty fast I'd say. Hehe. Next time I will get evaporate milk and maybe half the recipe (55 mochi is a lotttt!).

And oh, the freeze test.. These mochi stayed soft even overnight in the fridge!!! PASSED! Woot! :D



(Here's Take 1)

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Mangoes and Cream

I love THIS chiffon cake.. possibly more than my most valued sponge cake from before. :O Yes! I think I overrated that sponge cake since it was my first successful attempt at a cake that actually came out TALL. I like this chiffon cake slightly more because it's chocolate! And also it's dense, crumb-y, dry and light. I suggest serving this cake with layers and layers of cream. This cake is more toward the dry side so it goes super well with cream and fruits. I should have done more layers. Overall 5 stars out of 5(:


^look at how dense and airy it is


^a plain slice. yummy.. but a little too dry.


^halved.. texture shot.


^solution: cream and mangoes!


^some final touches!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake
recipe from Corner Café
-makes one 8" round cake
4 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
85ml canola oil

30g (3 1/2 tablespoons) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
125ml (1/2 cup) boiling water

100g cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
120g caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 8" round spring-form cake pan (no need to line or grease pan).
2. Dissolve cocoa and coffee in boiling water and set aside to cool. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times and set aside.
3. Whisk egg yolks, 60g sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy, add oil and room-temperature cocoa mixture, beat well to combine. Gradually sift in the flour mixture in a few small batches and fold in. Set aside.
4. Whisk egg whites and salt until foamy. Gradually add 120g sugar, spoonful by spoonful, until near stiff peaks form.
5. Scoop 1/3 of the meringue into the cocoa mixture and fold in with a metal spoon. When combined, fold in the next 1/3 of the meringue. Repeat with the remaining meringue until thoroughly combined. (I used a regular wood spatula instead of a metal spoon.. result is still good!)
6. Pour into the cake pan. Lightly tap pan on the kitchen bench to get rid of any large bubbles in the batter.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from oven and tap the tin again. Immediately turn the tin upside-down (use cups or drinking glasses to elevate the pan) and let cool completely this way.

^like so.

p.s. I got my camera back!(:

Mango Mochi

What a great way to start off the summer! A cold and fever. Thanks V. The past couple of days I have been laying in bed planning on what to bake. The idea of baking every week during the summer is overwhelming. Honestly, I was so sick and tired that I thought I would just give up and not bake ever again. I was scared that this sort of new-found passion of mine was slowly dying..

Phew! Turns out that was just a deluded short transition stage for me to switch into summer baking mode. Glad to have this blog to keep me on track. Food and I are inseparable!<3 Hehe.

Well, I am slowly recovering and regaining my obsession with food. I started off my first of many baking in summer 2010 with mango mochi (my fav!). My parents first tried these from my cousin in Hong Kong and they asked her to email me the recipe. I have made these a few years back and I remember that they never came out quite to perfection. This time around.. they were still so-so. They taste great when they are chilled and eaten within a day. But after a day, the mochi becomes hard and not as chewy. I am not sure if all home-made mochi are like that but definitely not the store-bought ones. (I want to make store-bought level mango mochi! ):)


Mango Mochi
(**recipe not perfected yet)
-makes 30
2 small bowl (~400ml) of glutinous flour
1 bowl (~200ml) of sugar
1 can (~400ml) of coconut cream
2 tbsp (30ml) of oil
2 tbsp of custard powder
plenty of shredded coconut for coating
1 mango, cubed

Cut up mango.
Mix glutinous flour, sugar, coconut cream, oil and custard powder.
Mix well until no lumps.
Wipe oil on a flat/wide plate.
Filter and pour mixture onto plate.
Steam on med high heat for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and spoon out a palm-sized amount onto a lightly greased saran wr.ap
Wet fingers and flatten dough into a circle.
Place mango in center and roll.
Coat with shredded coconut.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Chilled and eat within a day or two.

Note: The sticky-ness of the mochi is difficult to work with! Wetting the mochi too much or stuffing too much mango makes it impossible to close the mochi with the mango inside. Don't mind too much about the appearance of the mochi as long as you get the mango secure inside. The shredded coconut can hide any imperfection.


^juicy juicy mangoes :D

I am definitely going to get this to perfection because I don't want to be spending US$4.00 for 6 pieces of mango mochi at Phoenix! Keep an eye out for the perfected recipe by this summer!

p.s. camera-less for this week.. please excuse my bad quality photos.