Mango Tartlets

I miss summer and I miss mangoes! Wish I lived some place warmer :/

I wanted a mango fix. And I wanted it to be rich and creamy. I binge watched "The Great British Bake Off " during the holiday season and I just blame it on them. So I decided to make my own version of what I imagine mango heaven is.

This mango tart recipe is the perfect Patisserie marriage of the rich mango deliciousness and a sweet crust. It is a simple no bake recipe, tastes yummy as is but it can also be elevated by adding different flavors/ decorations making them look just exquisite.

The custard can be enjoyed as it it or you can add it to the pie tarts :)

Here is my recipe and I really hope you try it.

Serving Size

This recipe will make enough filling to fill 12 mini crusts OR one large crust.

Ingredients

Crust

1. Graham Cracker Pie Crust (Ready Crust) - 12 mini crusts (2 packs, 6 in each)

Filling

1. Whole Milk - 1.5 cups
2. Mango Puree - 2 cups
3. Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup
4. Custard Powder - 3 Tablespoons
5. Cardamom Powder - 1 Teaspoon (Optional)
6. Saffron - 1 Teaspoon threads (Optional)

Topping/Decoration (Optional)

1. Whole unsalted Pistachios - 1/4 cup
2. Red Grapes - 8-10
3. Whole ripe Mango - 1

Tips/Where to Buy?

Cardamom Powder

For added freshness, you can use whole green cardamom pod, remove the seeds and make you own powder by grinding it. Easy method is to use rolling pin to crush the seeds roughly, that'll do. Or you can use store bought cardamom powder.

• Available at any Indian Stores (whole pod/powder)
• Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Gourmet-Organic-G...
• Target - https://www.target.com/p/ground-cardamom-1oz-good-...
• Whole Foods https://products.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/365-...

Saffron

So Saffron is this beautiful spice (reddish orange threads) which are basically stamens handpicked from "crocus flower" that grows for a short period of time (making it expensive). Adding this will bring so much color and aroma. It is optional, but I truly love it. It is widely used in Indian/ Middle Eastern/Italian/Spanish and Swedish cooking.

• Available at any Indian Stores
• Whole Foods - https://products.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/rol...
• Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=saffron&i=grocery&ref=...

Custard Powder

I used "Brown and Polson" brand. Flavor - Vanilla. They taste the best.

Mango Pulp

You can make your own mango pulp from fresh or frozen mangoes. If you do so, make a puree and strain it for a smoother texture. But since its off season and frozen mangoes are a hit or miss, I settled for Mango Pulp. I visited Indian store and they had 2 brands. I ended up using the "SWAD brand" which comes in a 30 oz can. I tried "Ratna Brand" but I did not like the taste of it (sorry).

As mentioned earlier, I am going for a creamy texture and so I will be making a custard base. I used Brown & Polson Custard powder to make the custard.

Changes made to Brown & Polson Custard recipe instructions:

Milk

The recipe calls for 500ml (roughly 2 cups). Instead, I will be using 1.5 cups of milk and half cup of sweetened condensed milk for added richness.

Sugar

Recipe calls for 40g (4 Tablespoons). I will not be using any granulated or powdered sugar. Call it old fashioned but the creaminess and the sweetness will come from sweetened condensed milk and some from the mango pulp.

Custard Powder

The recipe calls for 25g (2.5 Tablespoons.). I will be using 3 Tablespoons. This will thicken the custard.

Enhancements made to the Brown & Polson Custard recipe instructions:

To my vanilla custard,

1. I have introduced a fruit element - mango pulp.
2. I added spice flavor with a hint of cardamom powder.
3. Enhanced color and aroma with the addition of Saffron.

Prepare in advance

My recipe uses 1.5 cups of milk total.

1. But first, in a separate bowl, I added 1/2 cup cold milk.
2. To the milk, I added 3 tablespoons of custard powder.
3. Using a spoon, I mixed the powder into the milk making sure the it is dissolved completely.
4. Set aside the custard powder mix. It will be used in step 4 (see below).

Steps

1. I measured 1 cup of whole milk and added it to a thick bottom saucepan on medium heat. Let the milk warm up. This took 1-2 minutes.
2. Once it was steaming, I added 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon of saffron threads and let the milk simmer on medium heat. This took 2-3 minutes. The heat from the milk instantly released the rich orange hues from the saffron and the color of the milk changed. Meanwhile, the cardamom flavors were steeping into the milk.
   • Tip: Once the milk is simmering, you will see the milk proteins coagulate and form a skin on top. If you are picky and would like a smooth custard, you can strain the milk to remove the milk skin, saffron and cardamom residues at this step. If you don't care, whisk it and let it disperse. No biggie.
3. Next, I Lowered the heat to somewhere between low-medium and added 1/2 cup of condensed milk to the simmering milk and made sure to whisk it continuously for about 1-2 minutes.
4. For the next step, I turned the stove off and slowly introduced the custard powder mixture to the sauce pan.
5. I turned the heat back on, set to low and continuously whisked the custard mix for 1-2 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
6. Finally, I added 2 cups of mango pulp, stirring it to make sure its mixed well. Let it cook for a minute on low heat.
7. Removed the saucepan from heat and that's it! We are done. No bake/no messiness.

It is important to cool and let the custard mixture set well before adding it to the crusts.

1. I let the custard mixture cool on counter top for 5 minutes and transferred it to a bowl.
2. I covered the bowl using serene/cling wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the top of the custard. This will avoid the top from forming a skin.
3. Let it chill in the fridge for 3 hours.

You can add your favorite toppings as you please or not add anything at all. I used the following toppings and they worked really well.

1. Mango - I peeled and cut the mango lengthwise along the pit and sliced the halves into thin slices.
2. Red Grapes - Just cut some grapes into round thin slices like rings.
3. Pistachios - I blitz some whole pistachios in the food processor. You can chop them using a knife too.

This was fun.

1. I had the 12 mini crusts ready on the counter.
2. I removed the custard from the fridge and give it a light stir.
3. I added small portions of the custard to each mini crusts filling them up.
4. Added mango slices - I used 3 slices for each mini crust.
5. Added pistachios forming a line.
6. Added grape rings - Couple for each mini crust.

Ta-Da!

Tip: If you would like to save some for later in the fridge, it is better to store them in a closed container so that the refrigeration wont affect the mango flavor.

These were delicious, heavenly. We all loved it and it was truly satisfying. Cant wait for our lives to be normal again and have people over. I will definitely be making them, they turned out fancy looking too!

The mango goodness hits you in waves. Trust the mango, trust the process!

Thank you for checking my Mango Tartlets instructable and I hope you all try it. Let me know if you have any questions. I cant wait to hear your recipe variations/toppings. If you really like this, please vote this recipe for "Out Of The Box Challenge".
Stay safe! Stay Curious :)

P.S. If you noticed, I have used a black background in many pictures to showcase my ingredients. Its an easy DIY backdrop that I made earlier for plywood challenge. Check out my instructable here https://www.instructables.com/DIY-Plywood-Photo-B...

I put the mango tartlets with the filling in the fridge for a final set. At least 3 hours. It is better to cover them