Mango Cheesecake (no-bake)

AAhhhh~~ The Mango Season is here in Brisbane!

It is indeed the wonderful time of year when these fresh and juicy mangoes can be found displayed on the counter at your local supermarket and Vegetable Shops. With many varieties of mango for you to choose from. Well, why wouldn't you? 

We were blessed with a full bag of ripe juicy mangoes from our neighbor a week ago. I like the sweet and distinctive aroma of mangoes fills the house. No fruits taste better then a fresh Mango. It is also my hubby Chris' favorite fruit too! 

                                                                           Picture: Courtesy Mangoes from our neighbor, Yes, lets make a dessert out of them!

In this recipe, I used fully ripe fresh mangoes. It should have a fragrant fruity aroma and give a slight soft touch when you squeeze its. To speed up ripening of the mangoes, place them in a paper bag at room temperature, it will ripen and become sweeter and softer over several days. Once ripe, mangoes should be moved to the refrigerator, which will slow down the ripening process. Whole, ripe mangoes may be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator.

Prep Time: 30 minutes + overnight chilling, Serves: 12

Ingredients for Base:

300g Arnott’s Scotch Fingers/ Marie Biscuits/ Digestive Biscuits

100g Butter, melted

1. Process biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed. I used Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro Food Processor for this recipe. Add butter and pulse to combine. 
2. Lined a 26cm spring foam baking pan with baking paper, Press the biscuits mixture into the base of the pan until firmed. 
3. Cover with cling wrap and keep refrigerated for 20-30 mins.


Ingredients for Cheese mixture:
2 x 250 g packets Kraft Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Block, at room temperature
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
300 ml Thickened Cream, whipped
1 tbsp Gelatin powder
1/4 cup Hot Water
500gm mangoes flesh, peeled, chopped, and pureed (see picture below)

                                                                Picture: Add peeled and chopped mangoes flesh into processing bowl, pureed and set aside.

How To:

1. Whisk the gelatin and hot water in a small bowl until the gelatin dissolves. set aside.

2. Add 500gm cream cheese and sugar in the processing bowl, processed until smooth and creamy. 

3. Pour in the cream and gelatin mixture and the pureed mangoes, blend it until well combined. 

4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base. Refrigerate overnight or chill until firm(at least 8 hours).

5. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge 15 mins before serving. 

Time to decorate! 
To make coulis, place the mango and lime juice in a blender and pulse until smooth. (If necessary, blend in a little water until coulis reaches pouring consistency.)
Arrange the remaining chopped mango over the cheesecake and drizzle over the coulis.
Note: I used a piping bag to pipe the coulis on the cheesecake, I find it easier to handle the coulis in this way.  

This delicious tropical mango cheesecake is simple and easy to make. You will surely wow your guests with this great dessert in this summer. 

Feel free to comment or write to me if you have any questions. God bless and enjoy!

Rebecca

Xx

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Apple Tea Cake

I never thought I could make a cake by using a food processor in my life! Thanks to Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro, this cake turned out perfect for our afternoon tea. My girlfriends and I absolutely enjoyed the flavorful, moist and smooth textured cake.

Bet you can not resist the the browned apple slices on the cake!

Ingredients:
(serves 12)
2 pink lady apples
3 x 50g eggs
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
180g butter, melted
1 ½ (330g) cups caster sugar
3 cups (450g) self raising flour
1 ½ tablespoons demerara sugar
2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed and sieved

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced oven). Grease and line a 25cm springform cake pan with baking paper.
2. Assemble the Kitchen Wizz Pro using the variable slicer set to a thin slice. Cut two sides from each apple as close to the core as possible. Put the halves together and place apples into large feed shoot so that long thin slices will be produced. Remove apples and set aside.  Place quad blade into processor bowl.
3. Place eggs, milk, vanilla, melted butter, sugar and flour in the order listed into the processor bowl.
4. Process mixture until just combined. Scrape down any caught flour if needed.
5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth top.  Arrange apple slices over cake making sure that each apple overlaps each other. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Bake in oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. While cake is still in pan brush apples with warm apricot jam and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Have all your ingredients measured out to save time and minimize the amount of time the apples have to start browning. Please let me know how you go!

Enjoy!

Xx Rebecca

Gingerbread man cookies

I was born and raised in an Asian background in a small town in Malaysia, I was always fascinated with the celebration of Christmas and the stories of the Gingerbread man when I was young. I always had the urge to just have a bite of them.. hhhmmm.. they surely taste Yuummm! "It would be fun baking them too, I thought.

Well, after 2 decades, I did finally bake them(yes, after 2 decades and for the first time!) last Christmas. It was really fun baking them, especially the decorating part. The colorful icings, the sprinkles, and the heavenly smell of spices coming out of the oven were just wonderful. Oh, it was beginning to smell like Christmas for sure!

In this recipe, I used my Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro food processor to process the ingredients. For Royal icing, I just used the handheld mixer since I want to make sure I get the desired consistency. Have fun baking!

INGREDIENTS:

(serves 24, also it depends on the size of the cutters you use)

90g butter (room temperature)

¼ cup (55g) firmly packed soft brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

150g treacle/ golden syrup

1 tablespoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups (225g) plain flour

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced Line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Add the butter and sugar into bowl, beat until pale and creamy. Then add in salt, spices and treacle and process until well combined.

3. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until mixture just forms a thick dough.

4. Place dough onto a floured surface, knead until smooth. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

5. Lightly knead the dough until smooth and soft enough to roll. 

6. Place the dough between 2 sheets of cling wrap and roll out until about 4mm thick. 

7. Use a gingerbread man cutter (or any desired cutters) to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. 

8. Bake for about 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.

ROYAL ICING

2 egg whites

pinch cream of tartar

2 ¼ cups pure icing sugar, sifted

1. Assemble mixer, add egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean and dry bowl. 

2. Beat the egg whites mixture until soft peaks form, then gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Divide icing into bowls and add your desired food coloring liquids. Mix until well combined. 

4. Now the fun part! Place icing into piping bag and get your kiddies to help decorating them too!

Note: Icing will harden on standing, hence, cover the bowls with plastic and place them in the fridge.

They were so delicious and all the kiddies who had those gingerbread man cookies absolutely loved them!

Feel free to leave your comment. :)