Mango-Coconut Clafoutis

We had left over coconut milk and left over whipping cream, so why not make a clafoutis? The real problem was that I didn't actually know what a clafoutis technically was-- should have read Wiki beforehand-- so I bought too much mango and filled up my dish and consequently it was too liquidy, but whatever! It was delicious all the same. I had some extra batter that I used to fill some ramekins with strawberries and make extra clafouti and those were even more delicious than the mango kind. Plus this was all very very easy as you just have to throw everything in the blender. Next time the Robber wants coffeecake for breakfast (we made this on a Saturday morning) I will make him a clafoutis instead (although because he is the Robber he likes coffeecake better). Oh well. What is nice about this is you can probably swap out the coconut milk for real milk or additional cream and the mangos for any old fruit you want. Voila! Clafoutis.

From the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/11/magazine/mag-11eatpie.html?ref=magazine#Mango-Coconut_Clafoutis

Ingredients:

3/4 C. heavy whipping cream

3/4 C. coconut milk

1/2 C. sugar

3 eggs

1/3 C. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I doubled this of course)

1/2 tsp. vanilla (could try almond or coconut extract!)

1 lb. mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Directions:

1. Combine heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a blender; blend until smooth.

2. Put mangos in a buttered and floured 8- or 9-inch pan. (I used a pie pan, maybe a cake pan would have been better as it would have been deeper and thus held my extra fruit.)

3. Pour the batter over the mangos.

4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold. (We ate it with a little extra sweetened condensed milk sprinkled over the top. Some toasted coconut would be nice with this as well.)

Thai Coconut Icecream

Everyone in Thailand eats icecream. It makes sense. It is always hot and never cool and icecream and the 7-11 where the icecream is sold is your only chance for relief. About a week into our trip we came to a little local icecream shop where, in a brochure, I saw a picture of coconut icecream with peanuts and sweetened condensed milk on it and it looked like heaven in a dish to me. Subsequently the Robber and I tried the remainder of our time in Thailand to find and purchase this dessert, with little success due to either a) no peanuts, b) no coconut icecream, c) a preference for putting creamed corn (creamed corn!) instead of peanuts on coconut icecream, d) no baht. Finally I determined I would have to make this myself when I was back in the States. So make it I did. I found this recipe among many on the internet and who knows if it is the best or the most authentic-- I suppose not, as it uses cream and eggs, cream being a non-Thai ingredient, although the milk in Thailand is very very creamy. But it's flavor is excellent and it is not too sweet, a winning truth about Thai coconut icecream. The texture too is similar, and it froze beautifully overnight without an icecream maker in my freezer, a plus for any icecream recipe in my opinion. And I ate it with salted peanuts and sweetened condensed milk and was happy.

From Group Recipes by some guy named Shine:

http://www.grouprecipes.com/56004/thai-coconut-ice-cream.html

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C. coconut milk 

1 1/4 C. heavy whipping cream

3/4 C. sugar

2 large eggs

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk, cream, and sugar to a boil while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly in the pan.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well.

3. Slowly add the coconut mixture to the eggs while constantly whisking the eggs (going slowly avoids crippling the eggs.) Continue adding the coconut mixture until half of it has been added to the eggs. At that point, you can add the remaining half in directly while whisking the eggs.

4. Cool the mixture completely and chill in the refrigerator.

5. Transfer to your ice cream maker to freeze, or pour the chilled mixture into a small loaf pan, cover it with cling wrap, and remove any air between the wrap and the mixture. Freeze for about two hours until it starts to get firm throughout.

6. Remove from freezer and mix with a spoon, then place the mixture into a food processor or blender and beat until smooth (I skipped this step and it was fine.)

7. Pour back into pan and put the cling wrap back over the pain, again removing any air, and freeze for several hours. 

Note: This icecream freezes up very hard, so place it in the refrigerator to soften for a few hours prior to serving. Serve with peanuts (and sweetened condensed milk, if you want. The salted peanuts are the real key.)

Coconut Hot Chocolate

Because I have the sniffles today I deserve this, don't you think?

Note: This is very rich even using "lite" coconut milk, and especially with whipped cream (I didn't do the meringue) on top. I could barely drink half of it myself. I think little girls would love it in small tea cups. Who knew coconut milk could even be used in hot chocolate? I want to try this with white chocolate. The end.

From the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/dining/111arex.html

Ingredients:

For the hot chocolate:
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 15-oz. can coconut milk
1/4 C. dark brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the meringue:
1 large egg white
3 T. superfine sugar.

Directions:

1. Whisk cocoa into 1/3 cup boiling water.

2. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in hot cocoa and chocolate until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg white on medium speed until it begins to foam, about 1 minute. Add superfine sugar tablespoon by tablespoon as mixer is running. Beat until egg white stiffens to soft peaks and is shiny, 5 minutes. Dollop onto cups of hot chocolate.

Yield: 2 (-4) servings.

Sri Lankan Mango Almond Curry

A few months ago on a date in Santa Cruz the Robber and I just about died and went to heaven eating mango almond curry at this Sri Lankan place. In fact, if you google "mango almond curry" it will link you there because it is so good. I resolved that, if at all possible, the Robber and I would make it for ourselves. At home.

But alas, finding a recipe, so hard. I finally came across this one for mango curry, without the plaintain or almonds that the restaurant used, and adapted it trying to make what we had at Malabar. We made it last night and had it over coconut rice. It was close... but not quite there. Maybe not having the curry leaves or the pandan leaf made a big difference? Even without these more exotic spices, however, the dish was delicious and we will definitely be making it again.

Adapted from: http://www.cookingandme.com/2009/05/sri-lankan-mango-curry-recipe.html

Ingredients:

1 raw mango

1 plantain

1 C. blanched whole almonds

1/2 onion, chopped fine

2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. crushed ginger

(or use 2 tsp ginger garlic paste)

1 tsp. mustard seeds

2 T. vinegar

4-5 curry leaves

1 pandan leaf cut/torn into bits

a 1" cinnamon stick

1 15 oz. can thick coconut milk

1 15 oz. can light coconut milk

1 T. oil

Directions:

1. Peel mango and cut into long, thin pieces. Do likewise to the plantain.

2. Grind mustard seeds and vinegar together to form a paste.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and cinnamon. Saute until onion turns golden - about 5-7 mins.

4. Add the mango, plantain, almonds light coconut milk, pandan leaf bits and the mustard seed mixture and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and simmer until mango and plantain is cooked and tender. Add the thick coconut milk and simmer for another 10 mins. Add salt. Serve over rice.

Chocolate Cream Pie

This recipe came by way of my old roommate KT, who sent it to her friend Kim, who published it on her pieloveyou.blogspot.com blog. The recipe itself is adapted from Gourmet Magazine in 2004. I made this for the Robber for Minnissippi Founders' Day.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (you can use the accompanying recipe for chocolate wafers, or I just used one package of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers which are delicious and worked just fine for this recipe)
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 pint chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Use a food processor to crumb the cookies or put the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and press the air out before sealing. Roll over the bag of cookies with a rolling pin until they form fine crumbs.

3. Stir together crumbs, chocolate, and sugar. Pour hot melted butter over the top and combine (The butter will melt the chocolate). Firmly press onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes and before cooling on rack, use the back of a spoon to press the hot crust back up the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

4. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute (filling will be thick).

5. Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (I skipped this step, it was fine!), then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla. The pudding should still be warm hot enough to melt the chocolate. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap (make sure there are no air bubbles between the pudding and the plastic wrap) and cool completely, about 2 hours.

6. Spoon filling into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

7. Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks add vanilla and sugar and spoon on top of pie. Top with chocolate shavings for additional effect.

Coconut Cream Pie

From The Joy: The Robber LOVES this pie. I made it on our ninth day of marriage and it just about blew his socks right off his Robber body. I love this man. Check out the bottom for a sweet picture of our pie!

Ingredients:

2/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 C. milk (Note: I use 1 C. coconut milk, 1 C. cow's milk)
2 whole eggs or 3 egg yolks
2 T. butter
2 t. extract -- vanilla, coconut, etc.
1/2 - 1 C. coconut

One baked half pie shell

1/3 C. toasted coconut
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
Directions:

1. In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, milk. Beat in eggs/egg yolks and heat, stirring continuously until thickened. Take off heat, add butter and extract.

2. Stir in coconut. Pour into pie shell, cover completely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for three hours or until completely cooled and solidified. Cooling overnight is best.

3. Just before serving, toast coconut on cookie sheet in oven at 400F until it barely changes color. Whip cream and add a bit of sugar to sweeten it. Spread whipped cream over surface of pie and sprinkle toasted coconut over the whipping cream. Enjoy!

p.s. Check out this sweet pie plate the Robber's labbies gave us!