Mango Mousse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When you entertain people who know and love food, there are different paths that can be taken to the table. Familiar dishes, flawlessly prepared, work well, but so do more trendy dishes that expand the palates of those you've invited to eat with you. I took the path of least resistance last evening and chose a menu of simple dishes that represent Spring in various countries around the world. There was Scandinavian salmon, Turkish lamb, Italian risotto and a French asparagus salad. Fortunately, the dishes blended nicely and it all turned out well. It was a night of good food, good company and good wine. I wanted to end the meal on a light, bright note and decided to serve a mango mousse with meringue cookies for dessert. When properly prepared, this is a wonderful, slightly tart dessert. Its success or failure depends of the quality of the mangoes used to make it. They must be fully ripe and bursting with flavor. I can tell you from bitter experience, that those packs of peeled and sliced mangoes that are now available in the super market will not work here. I've never tried the mango puree that is available at Trader Joe's, but I suspect that this is a case where sweat equity pays off. I'm always asked to suggest a substitute for the orange liqueur used in the recipe. Unfortunately, there is none. Orange juice will ruin the mousse. It takes a while for this to stiffen, so it is best made early in the day you plan to serve it. If you want something more fancy, the mousse can be shaped in molds and served with a strawberry coulis. I do have one note of caution. Mango can be stringy even when pureed. To have an absolutely smooth puree, I put mine through a sieve before proceeding with the recipe. This is not an overtly sweet dessert, but it is delicious and I marvel at its color every time I see it. If you're in the market for something a little different, I think you'll like this mousse. If you like desserts with a little tang, you'll love it. Here's the recipe.

Mango Mousse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1 to 2 teaspoons lime juice
1 package unflavored gelatin
2-1/2 pounds large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Directions:
1) Pour liqueur into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let gelatin soften 10 minutes. Puree mangoes in processor. Measure puree and return 2-1/2 cups to work bowl of processor (reserve remainder for garnish). Add sugar to mango puree in processor and blend well. Set bowl of gelatin in saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Add gelatin mixture and lime juice to mango in processor and blend. Whip cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in mango mixture. Transfer to 6 dessert dishes. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mango Berry Crisp - Within the Kitchen
Mango Cheesecake with Lemon Basil Syrup - Step By Step Gourmet
Mango Rice Pudding - Pham Fatale
Fresh Mango Curd - SwEEts
Chunky Mango Ice Cream - Home Cooking Rocks
Mango Pudding (Gluten Free Dairy Free) - The Sensitive Pantry
Mango Merinque Tart with Coconut Cream - She Shimmers
Creamy Mango Gelato - My Man's Belly
Mango and Strawberry Muffins - Kirsten's Kitchen
Peach and Mango Trifle - Adora's Box
Mango Lassi - Entertaining Made Easy
Mango Mousse - My Favorite Recipes Collection
Mango Panna Cotta - My Kitchen and Photographs
Mango Bread - Kitchen Runway
Mango Upside Down Cake with Macadamia Nuts - Sippity Sup

Limoncello - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I make Limoncello as a gift for friends. Lemons, bought in quantity, are relatively inexpensive throughout the year, so I'm not seasonally tied to its preparation. I have several recipes for the liqueur, but I usually end up using one developed by Giada De Laurentis because it is simple to make and is ready to drink in days rather than months. While many drink Limoncello out of hand, I prefer to dilute it and serve it over ice. Its main purpose in our house is to use as an ingredient in cheesecake and other lemon desserts. I am "brewing" a bottle now to use in a cheesecake that I plan to make for the Easter holiday. If you like Limoncello you know the only thing that can spoil it is too much sugar. I've cut back on the amount of sugar that was called for in the original recipe. I also use 100 proof vodka. Anything less than that will freeze and you don't want that to happen. Here's the recipe that I use to make homemade Limoncello. You might want to consider it as an aperitif for Passover or Easter.

Limoncello...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Giada De Laurentis and others

Ingredients:
10 large lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle 100 proof vodka
3-1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Directions:
1) Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from lemons in long strips (reserve lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim white pith away from lemon peels; discard pith. Place lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour vodka over peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep for 4 days at room temperature.
2) Stir water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour sugar syrup over vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard peels. Transfer limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month. Yield: 7 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Blue Lemonade - One Perfect Bite
Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur - One Perfect Bite
Cranberry Cocktails - One Perfect Bite


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.