Mango Madness – El Fin (for now)

‘Tis the final weekend of summer break, so this’ll be my last mango-related post for a while… or at least until after my midterm on Tuesday.

Earlier today, I rediscovered some the 4 oz mason jars I had from last summer so I figured it was a sign from the universe (not-so-subtle HIMYM reference) telling me that I needed to make cheesecake. 😀 Instead of using an actual mango cheesecake recipe, I decided to make my own version based off the recipe I used last summer. I was aiming for a light mango flavor for the actual cheesecake since I wanted to add in some mango chunks both in it and on top. So without further ado, here’s the experimental recipe of the day!

Ingredients:
Serving size – 6 mini cheesecakes

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbs mango puree
• 1/3 cup mango, cubed

For garnish:

• mango, cubed
• raspberries
• mint leaves

*This recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled, depending on how many jars you have on-hand. For a non-mango cheesecake, simply take out the mango ingredients and add an extra tablespoon of sugar per 6 jars.

Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the mason jars with non-stick cooking spray (I used PAM’s baking spray) or grease them with butter.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs,  melted butter, and sugar in a small bowl. Put a heaping spoonful of crumbs into each jar and press down to form an even crust layer.

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Next, add in the egg. Then add the sour cream, vanilla and pureed mango and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Finally, add the mango cubes and mix lightly with a spatula.

Fill each jar with about 1/3 cup of the cheesecake mixture. It should reach up to the first rim so you have plenty of room for toppings. Place the jars in a large roasting pan and pour hot water in until it reaches about halfway up the jars. This is known as a “water bath” and keeps the cheesecake from cracking while baking in the oven.

Place this in the oven for 30 minutes. Once it’s done, remove each jar carefully with tongs and place on a wire rack to cool. Be careful not to splash any water in your cheesecake as you transfer them onto the rack! I’ve accidentally done this a couple of times due to my impatience…

When they’ve cooled to about room temperature, they are now safe to decorate however you please! Since I had some mangoes left (okay, let’s be real… I have about 60 mangoes still), I decided to chop some up and scatter them on top. I also added a couple raspberries and mint leaves to give the dish some more color.

*Storage Tip: If I have any leftovers of these (which is rare), I usually freeze them separate from their toppings so that it lasts a bit longer. I love these little jars because they’re the perfect size for whenever you want just a small bite of dessert. Have fun experimenting with whatever toppings you’d like! 🙂

– Chef μChip