Swetha's Fusion

No Bake Mango Cheesecake

Monday, January 02, 2023

I understand winter is the wrong season for mangoes, but who cares. When you crave for it, go for it. Thanks to canned food. Well it is summer in land-down-under:P I had craving for Mango Cheese cake. This is second year I am making this during winter break.

Usually these cakes are made in pie-dish or springform baking pan. But I use these glass cups. Costco sells Tiramisu in these glass cups. I save them after enjoying the Tiramisu. Now I repurpose the cups for individual portion of Cheesecakes.

If you plan to serve Mango cheesecakes to your guest, you need to plan ahead and prepare them a day ahead as each layer needs to set before adding another.

INGREDIENTS:

Bottom Base layer - Crust:

5 oz - Marie Biscuits (about 20), or digestives biscuits, or Graham Crackers
½ cup - melted unsalted butter
2 tbsp. – brown or white sugar
¼ tsp of each – cinnamon powder, Nutmeg powder (I even add cloves and cardamom powder)

Middle layer - Mango Cheesecake filling:

2½ cup - mango pulp (unsweetened)
2 tbsp. - gelatin powder [1 Knox packet] - unflavored
½ cup - water
8 oz - Cream cheese, softened (1 block)
¼ cup - caster sugar (superfine white sugar) – or regular sugar may be used
5 oz - whipping cream

Top layer - Mango Jelly:

1 tbsp. - gelatin powder [½ Knox packet] - unflavored
¼ cup - water
1 cup - mango pulp (unsweetened)
1 tbsp - orange or lemon juice.

METHOD:

(1) Bottom layer -crust

Using a blender/food-processor crush biscuits/crackers into fine crumbs. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.
Add spices (cinnamon, Nutmeg, cloves and cardamom – powder) and sugar to the biscuit crumbs and mix
Now add the melted butter and mix it thoroughly.
Pour a tablespoon of the mix to each cup and press it down with the back of the spoon.
Refrigerate the cups until the cheesecake filling is ready [about 30 minutes to an hour].

(2) Middle layer – Cheesecake

Prepare Gelatin as mentioned on the box [ or - Heat the water and stir in the gelatin powder. If it does not dissolve properly, put the mixture in the microwave, heat it up, and mix again.] Keep aside.
Whisk whipping cream until fluffy, keep aside.
Whisk the soft cream cheese (use food processor or handheld blender or egg whisker) until smooth consistency.
Add the sugar and Mango Puree, blend it all together.
Finally add Prepared Gelatin & whisked whipping cream to the creamcheese-mango mix and beat few times to mix it all together.
Pour the mixture to the chilled cups (about half cup). Tap the cups couple of on folded kitchen towel to let the mixture settle.
Put the cups back into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

(3) Top layer – Mango Jelly.

Warm up ¼ cup water. Stir-in the Gelatin powder until there are no lumps. Heat the mixture for a minute or so in microwave oven and stir the mixture again to dissolve all the gelatin.
Now, add 2 tablespoons of pureed mango pulp to the gelatin mixture and mix. (this helps in blending the gelatin with the mango puree )
Add rest of the mango puree & orange juice, whisk it to make the Jelly mix.
Pour 2 tablespoon of Jelly mix over the chilled cheesecake cups.
Chill the cheesecake cup overnight in the refrigerator (or at least for 8 hours) until Jelly is set.
Serve chilled Mango Cheesecake. You may garnish it with whipped cream, or mango slices - let your imagination go. Share and Enjoy!

NOTES:

I used canned Kesar mango puree (unsweetened) this time. During mango season (summer). I prepare fresh pulp from mangoes. – just make puree out of ripe mango flesh in a blender.
Instead of individual cups, cheesecake may be prepared in a baking dish with layering the bottom with crust. Spring-form baking dish works well for this purpose
A ready no-bake 9in Graham Pie Crust may be used instead of making the bottom layer
You may serve Mango cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Top Jelly layer may be skipped and just serve with whipped cream and/or fresh cut mango pieces.
You may substitute gelatin with agar agar.

Credits: I got my inspiration for this dessert from Nagi's Site, El Mondo Eats, & Cooking Jingalala

Labels: Cake, Desserts, Sweet, Vegetarian

~ No Bake Mango Cheesecake ~
Posted by Swetha @ 1/02/2023 12:00:00 PM :: 0 comments

Swetha's Fusion :: permalink

Seasoned Fruit Salad - Indian Style

Sunday, January 01, 2023

Wishing you all Happy & Prosperous New Year 2023!!

For this New Year I thought of posting Fruit Salad. What is so different you may ask? For a Fruit Salad you just cut fruits and mix it together. Yes, that’s right! But, my mom used to add spices, season it with dry fruits and nuts. In our home we also make this for Prasada/Naivedyam - offering for God - after the prayer, we all eat it as blessings.

Ingredients:

Ripe Fruits - Mango, Banana, Apple etc. - 1 each; Grapes - 1 cup
Dry fruits and nuts - Raisins (dry grapes), Cashew nuts, Almonds etc.
Spices - Green Cardamom powder from 1 pod, Cinnamon powder - ¼ tsp, Nutmeg powder - a pinch, Black Pepper powder - a pinch
Honey - 1 tsp [optional]
Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

Prep Fruits: Peel mango, apple and banana skin. Cut them into cubes and put them into a bowl. Cut grapes into halves; remove the seeds if there are any.
Chop nuts into pieces.
Add spices powders and honey to the fruits and mix.
Put seasoning pan on low flame, add ghee to the pan. Once ghee is hot, add raisins. Keep stirring, once raisins is roasted, it swells. Spoon them out to the fruit bowl. Now add chopped nuts to remaining ghee, roast them until golden brown. Pour the whole thing over the fruit. Gently mix them all.
Offer to the God and have. Or serve as dessert.

Variations:

Other fruits like pineapple chunks, peeled oranges may also be used.
While serving as desserts, scoop of Ice cream or custard may be added on top. Yummy!!
I make fruit salad with cut berries [strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and black berry] and Kiwi + grapes. But I don't season it or add nuts to the salad. But I do like a small scoop of vanilla ice-cream or whip cream to go with it.