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Creamy Mango Coconut Spread

A few weeks ago, I made some incredible soft pretzels that I dressed in an Orange Rosemary Honey Glaze.  Like just about everything I’ve put on this blog, the glaze was an experiment, an attempt to see if orange juice and honey would simmer together into the sticky amber syrup I was looking for, and whether the taste of citrus and honey would mingle in peace with a strong, savory herb like rosemary.  The flavor I got was intriguing, not like a definite answer, but like a question that is attractively different and profound in a way that piques your interest and makes you hungry for more.

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My pleasure in making those pretzels wasn’t only from the adventure of playing with new flavors, but also from what a small mistake inspired me to do next.  At one point I let the glaze simmer for too long and found that it had hardened into something chewy, dry, and barely malleable, let alone spreadable; in this regard, my glaze had “failed” (although in this case it was extremely easy to fix by adding some water).  But then I realized it had also turned into a sort of candy, after which my mind instantly raced with excitement over how easy it seemed to make fruit chews and with ideas of other flavor combinations that I could experiment with.

That was when I decided mango coconut chews would be a brilliant idea.  I wanted to blend some mangoes and cook the puree with condensed milk, as I figured condensed milk would be similar in effect to honey or corn syrup.  Then once it became thick and golden like the orange glaze, I was going to pour in some coconut milk, just like pouring cream into caramel, and then wait for it to reduce to something chewy and pliable that I could roll, cut, and wrap in squares of wax paper.

But it failed.  Though the mixture thickened, after 15 minutes it was nowhere near sticky and maintained only the mushiness of baby food, and I was getting more sad and confused and slightly mad at myself for not having strained the pulp from the mangoes first or for maybe having added too little condensed milk.  Taste was my last hope, so I grabbed a spoon.
At first its fruitiness tasted awkward, still warm after coming right off the stove.  Then all of the layers of flavor suddenly unfolded, melting into my mouth like eating lush cream extracted straight from mangoes.  It was pure creamy splendor with a sweet tropical tang, just vibrant enough that you’d know it was fruit; then that quickly slipped away, leaving the rich nuttiness of coconut lingering on my tongue like a soft goodbye before the next spoonful.  I no longer cared that it wasn’t chewy, or that I couldn’t wrap it in wax paper and give it to friends- despite how simple of a flavor combo mango and coconut was, the taste was so deep and interesting, I just wanted to spread it on toast, fill cakes with it, wrap it inside fluffy little steamed buns and eat them one by one.

I’ve had this blog for two years now, and instances like this remind me of why I love making and sharing food.  The part of cooking and baking that I enjoy is not reading a recipe and shoving something into the oven with fingers crossed (or even shoving something into my mouth with fingers crossed), but writing the recipe and crafting a masterpiece from things that go both right and wrong.  I love that it’s full of surprises and constant inspiration from one random idea to the next, that if your cake explodes, you can always crumble the remains and make delicious cake pops.
Something small like overcooked glaze or mushy mangoes probably isn’t the best example, but what I’ve learned in the kitchen is to shoot for the moon, don’t be afraid to be creative and go for those crazy ideas.  Because the failure of one crazy idea not only teaches you, but could inspire your next great feat.  

Funny how I completely forgot about the first anniversary of this blog, but here’s to making many more sweet dreams come true!


Creamy Mango Coconut Spread     –     makes approximately 2/3 cup

– 1 medium mango, peeled, deseeded, and cut into chunks (should amount to about 3/4 cup pureed)
– 1/4 cup condensed milk
– 1/3 cup full fat canned coconut milk 
Place the mango chunks into a food processor and blend them into a smooth puree.  Combine it in a saucepan with the condensed milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and appears dry around the edges.  Pour in the coconut milk, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring constantly.  Once the mixture no longer bubbles and has the consistency of loose mashed potatoes, remove it from the heat.  Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it into a jar or airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for future use (can last for about a week).




This post first appeared on Sweet Dreams Recipes, please read the originial post: here

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Creamy Mango Coconut Spread

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