mango

This is a guest post from my cousins Liesel and Rachel. We most often live across the world from each other but our passion for cooking and baking unites us. It”s in the genes! I trust these girls taste buds and know that whatever comes out of their kitchen is going to be GOOD. I hope you”ll give them a warm welcome!

I (Liesel) just returned to college in Canada after a good few years being away. During this time I”ll be spending one night a week at Rachel”s place to cut down on the commute to college. Instead of hitting the books, we”ll be hitting the flour and sugar!

We got into a bit of cooking and baking mischief together last year and would now like to involve Cheri in our shenanigans. This is a flavour combination that we came up with a couple of years ago when Rachel was visiting me in Ireland. Welcome to Cooking Cousins…

Rachel: So, we made some muffins.

Liesel: What was left of summer seems to have dropped below the horizon as quickly as the sun does these days. Although the leaves are turning colour we are grasping on to reminders of warmer weather.

Rachel: They got mangos and cloves in them.

Liesel: Mango and cloves are not regular companions in baking but are the perfect autumn flavour. The mango reminds us of tropical fruit salads enjoyed on a warm day and the cloves of the coming winter nights.

Rachel: I ate mine with butter and cheese.

Liesel: These healthy, sweat, spicy muffins are perfect to enjoy on their own or with your favourite muffin topping at any time of day. I will be enjoying mine for breakfast!

Mango Clove Muffins a.k.a. Autumn Sunrise Muffins

In one bowl mix together:

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 mashed banana (I defrost mine from the freezer, cut one end and then squeeze the banana out)

1/4 cup milk

1.5 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a second bowl combine:

1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed

1 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 small mango, diced (use 1/2 a large mango)

Mix wet and dry ingredients until just moistened. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 min.

A Liesel & Rachel creation.

We are coming off of two weeks of non-stop rain and my son and I have been practically living outside, now that the sun is shining. We’ve been having picnics, going to the park, walking to the creek, playing in the sandbox. You name it. We’ve done it. I’m surprised at how hardcore Max is about being outside. His little 21 month old legs do not tire out easily. The forecast is for rain again next week so I figure we better enjoy it while we can.

Every afternoon when Max is down for his nap I’ve been taking some time to sit out in the sun and soak up some rays. It reminds me of all those summer days back home when my mom and I would sit out on the deck and talk for hours. The only thing missing is Mom (and the talking, I try not to talk to myself out loud too much in public places). Thankfully I have this Mango Strawberry Sherbet to comfort me.

I know there is a lot of confusion between Sorbet and Sherbet, so let me break it down for you. The only difference between the two is that Sherbet contains dairy and Sorbet doesn’t. It’s as simple as that. The addition of cream in this sherbet smooths out the texture as soon as it hits your mouth.

One of the best things about this recipe is that you do not need an ice cream maker to make it. All you need is a large ziploc bag and a blender. The other best thing about this sherbet? It tastes like mango, strawberry heaven.

This is an ice creamy treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about feeding your kids because it’s packed full of real fruit and you control the amount of sugar intake. The addition of cardamom adds a hint of background flavour that rounds it out nicely and leaves you wanting more, but you could just as easily leave it out or substitute it with another spice such as cinnamon.

What summer/spring events transport you back to your childhood?

Mango Strawberry Sherbet

1 mango, flesh removed and chopped (2 cups)

1 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup ice

1 cup cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cardamom

Puree mango, strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds.
Rinse out blender (to get rid of seeds) and place remaining ingredients along with pureed fruit inside. Puree until smooth.
Place a large resealable plastic bag into a large pitcher allowing the side of the bag to drape over. Poor in Sherbet. Remove from pitcher and seal tightly.
Freeze for 45 min. Remove from freezer and mash the bag around in your hands to break up the ice crystals. Place back in the freezer and repeat the process every 30 min. until the entire mixture is frozen (2-3 hours). Set a timer so you don’t forget!
Freeze overnight. Leave out for 10-15 minutes before scooping and serving.

Makes approximately : 4 cups

* If your mango doesn’t have enough flesh to make 2 cups just add more strawberries to equal a total of 3 cups of fruit.

* You could really make this with any soft seasonal fruit but you may need to add more sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit. I like to take a spoon and taste it once its all mixed together to make sure the sugar is right.

* The reason you mash up the sherbet as it freezes is to break up the ice crystals as they are forming so that you can get the smoothest possible consistency. Alternately, you could place this in a shallow dish and mash it with a whisk or spoon every 30 min. until frozen. If you do have an ice cream maker by all means use it!

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