recipes and tips. tried and tested.

When I was staying in the East Coast, we had a mango tree of a very special variety, apart from other beautiful fruit trees that grew healthily all year round, thanks yo our loyal and skillful gardener. Every three months, our mango tree would bear an abundance of juicy golden mangoes. It never failed to give us more than we actually could eat. Even when the kids invited the whole class over, there was still plenty to keep. So I would freeze the mango pulp and use it in desserts and juices.

The amount of mango puree we had was enough to make dozens of cheesecakes. And I have tried dozens of mango cheesecake recipes. I have found that this mango cheesecake recipe by Catherine Lau, fits into my best cheesecake recipes list. It is literally a simple recipe. No bake, no fuss.

A few days ago, we had 5 kilos of ‘Harumanis’ mango, a mango variety found in the northern-most state of Malaysia. ‘Harumanis’ is indeed synonymous with the state of Perlis. The downside is the price. It can reach up to 45 Ringgit per kilo at times. Ridiculously expensive I know but considering this fragrant fruit has such exceptionally sweet and juicy golden flesh, it is worth buying. Moreover, it is a rich source of vitamin A, B antioxidants and other minerals.

Apart from the fruit and the ingredients, we love using jars as they look pretty when served. Cutting a cheesecake can be pretty tricky and messy so this is one good alternative. The jars I use to make this dessert were jam, pickle or nut jars. Soak these bottles in a large container filled with water and soda bicarbonate for at least 3 hours and you’ll find peeling the labels pretty effortless.

So gather everything and lets jump into this great recipe inspired by Catherine Lau!

Kek keju mangga ‘in jar’

Masa di Terengganu, bila musim pokok mangga depan rumah kami berbuah, tak habis nak memakannya. Dah jemput sekelas kawan-kawan anak pun masih berlebih. Jadi dessert ni salah satu yang kami selalu buat untuk perabiskan mangga sebaik-baiknya.

Kali ni pula, kami gunakan mangga Harumanis sebab memang musimnya. Mangga Harumanis ni sinonim dengan negeri Perlis. Bau yang harum dan rasa yang manis memang sesuai dengan nama diberi. Siapa peminat mangga mesti tahu tentang mangga ni. Mahal tetapi banyak khasiatnya. Kaya dengan vitamin A, B ditambah pula dengan vitamin dan mineral lain. Khabarnya mangga Harumanis ni hakcipta negeri Perlis saja.

Walaupun dalam masa PKP ni, tetaplah kami order dalam 5 kilo. Makan sampai sendawa. Isi mangga kami bekukan untuk buat puree minuman atau kuih. Jika bekukan semasa buah masih segar, rasa mangga akan kekal sedap selepas keluarkan dari freezer.

Sebab mangga ni mahal, jadi setaraflah nak hasilkan kek keju mangga. Resipi kek keju mangga ni ialah antara resipi yang mudah dan sedap, yang kami ubah sikit dari resipi asal buku ‘Cheesecake Seduction’ oleh Catherine Lau.

Kali ni kami gunakan bekas yang tak terlalu besar biar tak muak memakannya. Botol-botol jam atau jeruk sangat sesuai untuk ‘glass dessert’ macam ni. Resipi ni juga boleh hasilkan kek dalam loyang bulat 7 inci. Jadi ada dua pilihan nak hidang.

Sebenarnya, boleh saja guna mangga apa pun, asalkan isinya masak dan manis. Resipi sama juga pernah kami gantikan dengan buah ‘passionfruit’. Pun sedap!

Silalah cuba resipi Catherine Lau ni!