Mango Yogurt Mousse

Creamy, luscious, every bite is savored. It’s one of my favorite recipes for summer time dinner parties; it’s easy to double or triple the recipe and serve in acrylic cups. And I always get requests for the recipe.

Mango has a fascinating history and is rich in nutrients.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”full” source_site=”Organic Facts” source_url=”https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/mango.html” full_quote=”Mango originated in Burma and eastern India almost 4,000 years ago. Many stories in Indian mythology include the mention of the mango plant, and Lord Buddha is said to have often meditated in a mango grove. Mango cultivation first spread to Malaysia, eastern Asia and eastern Africa and was finally introduced to California around 1880. Mangoes were introduced to Africa and Brazil by Portuguese explorers, while mango cultivation started in Hawaii and Florida around the 19th century. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber and vitamin B6, as well as a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Mangoes are rich in minerals like potassium, magnesium and copper, and they are one of the best sources of quercetin, betacarotene, and astragalin. These powerful antioxidants have the power to neutralize free radicals throughout the body. Ailments like heart disease, premature aging, cancer and degenerative diseases are due to these free radicals that damage the cells.” short_quote=”Mangoes are rich in minerals like potassium, magnesium and copper, and they are one of the best sources of quercetin, betacarotene, and astragalin. These powerful antioxidants have the power to neutralize free radicals throughout the body”]
Mango Yogurt Mousse
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Mango Yogurt Mousse
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved.
  2. Peel, pit and cut mangoes into bite-size pieces.
  3. Place 2 cups of mango pieces in blender; add sugar, vanilla, and the gelatin mixture. Blend well. Reserve the remaining mango for later.
  4. Transfer the blended mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt.
  5. In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, fold it into the mango mixture gently but thoroughly.
  6. Cover bowl and chill mousses for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Peach and Blackberry Crisp

Stone fruit and berries sprinkled with a blend of oats and nuts just barely crumbled together with a touch of butter (or coconut oil), and baked just enough to make each bite burst with flavor….hmmhmm summer has arrived!

Mix some plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey to taste and add a dollop on top of the cooled crisp.

Or for a special treat, place a scoop of simple vanilla ice cream over a hot serving and savor the contrast of the frozen ice cream melting into the fruit.

Variations:

  • Instead of peach, use nectarines or plums
  • Instead of blackberries, any other berries or a mix of berries – or no berries, just increase the peach by a cup or two

 

Peach and Blackberry Crisp
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Peach and Blackberry Crisp
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375°F and butter (can use coconut oil) a 9 x 9 baking dish.
  2. Combine berries, peaches, juice and zest in a bowl and mix well. Place in baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients with hands until moist and crumbly. Scatter crumb mixture evenly over fruit in baking dish.
  4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown.
Recipe Notes

Modified:

Epicurious: Blackberry and Peach Crisp

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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

These cupcakes are hugely popular with all our friends and family. The hint of cinnamon, the richness of cocoa and the bits of chocolate make every bite delicious. The zucchini adds moisture and putting a vegetable boost into dessert is good for a mother’s heart.

They are so yummy, they don’t really need frosting. But I’ve made them so many times over the years, I’ve served them differently pending on what I had in the refrigerator: a cream cheese icing (blend cream cheese sweetened to taste with honey, real whipped cream with a tablespoon of cocoa folded in and sweetened to taste with powdered sugar or a chocolate butter cream icing.

For a super duper chocolate treat on a special occasion with a chocolate glaze (melt equal parts semi-sweet chocolate and butter or coconut milk). For these, I bake the cupcakes in a mini-muffin tin.

In general I do not use cupcake liners, they just go straight to the landfill.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
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Servings
8 cupcakes
Servings
8 cupcakes
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
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Servings
8 cupcakes
Servings
8 cupcakes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: cupcakes
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease muffin tin with butter or coconut oil.
  2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Beat together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
  5. Pour into muffin tin and bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 25 - 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Source

Epicurious: Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

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Raw Chocolate Mousse

There is tree in our garden in Cochabamba so friendly and perfect for climbing, that my daughter named him Sammy Tree when she was three and needed help climbing into its branches.

Sammy is an avocado tree and unbelievably fruitful! Last year, two branches broke under the weight of more than two hundred large avocados! With great love, my father propped the remaining fruit-laden branches up to avoid future breakage and pain to Sammy.

Seeking new ways to enjoy Sammy’s bounty, I found various recipes for avocado-based chocolate mousse. Who knew?!

So creamy and rich, it takes only a couple of spoonfuls to satisfy tummy and palate.

Raw Chocolate Mousse
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Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Raw Chocolate Mousse
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. Place the flesh of the avocados in a food processor to purée.
  2. Add the banana and process until well blended.
  3. Add the rest of the other ingredients and blend again. Adjust sweetness to taste.
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This is a delightful recipe from Cooking Classy. I modified it by adding fresh ginger, reduced the sugar and used coconut oil.

Rather than the Cream Cheese frosting from the original recipe, I made Whipped Orange Cream because I had heavy cream in my refrigerator.

But check out the original recipe with its marzipan carrots!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
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Servings Prep Time
12 cupcakes 30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 cupcakes 30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
12 cupcakes 30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 cupcakes 30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: cupcakes
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 30 seconds, set aside. Shred carrots as directed in notes below, set aside.
  2. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar, then add eggs and using an electric hand mixer, blend mixture on low speed 30 seconds, until slightly pale. Mix in applesauce and vanilla extract. With mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in vegetable oil and mix until combined, then mix 20 seconds longer. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, then pour the shredded carrots into the bowl with the remaining flour mixture and toss in flour mixture to coat carrots (they'll clump together a bit but that's fine). Pour carrot mixture into the batter and blend until evenly combined.
  3. Pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 19 - 21 minutes. Cool in muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Recipe Notes

Modified from
Cooking Classy: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Whipped Orange Cream

As with many of my recipes, I take liberties with this one. I found out inadvertently when in the middle of making it one day, that it works well without the white chocolate!

And I’ve also made a lemon variation

  • Replace 6 tablespoons orange juice with 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • Replace 1 tablespoon grated orange rind with 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

 

Two oranges with blossom flowers hanging on orange tree
Whipped Orange Cream
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Two oranges with blossom flowers hanging on orange tree
Whipped Orange Cream
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and lemon juice in top of double broiler set over simmering water. Whisk until it thickens and candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 5 minutes.
  2. Remove from over water. Add chopped white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Beat cream in large bowl to firm peaks.
  4. Fold in white chocolate mixture.
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Ambrosial Torte from Historic Cacao

Cacao was domesticated in Central America about 3,000 years ago. Linguistic findings suggest the word “cacao” is comes from the word kakawa in Mixe-Zoquean, believed to have been the language of the Olmecs, the oldest civilization of the Americas (1500–400 B.C.). The chocolate legacy passed from the Olmecs to the Maya, one of Mesoamerica’s most advanced civilizations. Drinking vessels elaborately decorated with chocolate illustrations discovered by archaeologists contain traces of ceremonial chocolate drinks dating from 250 to 900 A.D.

Cacao beans were so valued in ancient Mexico that the Maya and later Toltec and Aztec civilizations used them as currency to purchase small household items and pay for various services: a large tomato was worth one cacao bean, a rabbit 10 beans, and a slave 100 beans. Taxes levied against conquered tribes were also paid in cacao beans.

Typically Mexican chocolate is made with roasted and ground cacao nibs, sugar and cinnamon; other spices like nutmeg and allspice can also be added.

Chocolate and cinnamon
Mexican Chocolate Torte
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Chocolate and cinnamon
Mexican Chocolate Torte
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Ingredients
The Torte
The Glaze
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Instructions
The Torte
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-1/2-inch springform pan and line it with a round of wax paper. Butter the paper and dust the pan with flour, knocking out the excess.
  2. In a small skillet on the stove top, toast the almonds about 5 minutes and let them cool.
  3. In a food processor blend together cooled almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until the almonds are ground fine.
  4. Add the chocolate, and blend the mixture until the chocolate is ground fine.
  5. Add the egg yolks and vanilla; blend the mixture until it is combined well (it will be very thick), and transfer it to a bowl.
  6. In another bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixer with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, beat in the granulated sugar gradually, until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
  7. Whisk about one third of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining meringue gently but thoroughly.
  8. Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing the top, and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
  9. Let the torte cool in the pan. Run a thin knife around the edge, and remove the side of the pan. Invert the torte onto a rack, discarding the wax paper.
The Glaze
  1. In a metal bowl set over barely simmering water in a saucepan, combine the chocolate, the butter, and the cream.
  2. Stir the mixture until it is smooth, and let the glaze cool until it is just lukewarm.
  3. Set the torte on the rack over wax paper and pour the glaze over it, smoothing the glaze with a spatula and letting the excess drip down the side.
Recipe Notes

Source: Epicurious: Mexican Chocolate Torte

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