Mango Panna Cotta: Easy No Bake Dessert

Recipe: Mango Panna Cotta Recipe »

This mango panna cotta is something special. While it looks gorgeous, it is also straightforward to make and keeps for days in the fridge so it's a great make-head pudding dessert. Fresh mango is pureed and then combined with a coconut and cream layer and then topped with fresh, diced mango. You'll think you're in the tropics with this gorgeous mango and coconut dessert! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader.

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that uses gelatin to set cream or milk with sugar. This gives it a lovely jelly or pudding texture. Panna cotta is a great dessert to make ahead of time and it is also an inexpensive dessert to make and ideal to feed a crowd!

Tips For Making Mango Panna Cotta

1 - This is mango panna cotta is fantastic with fresh mangoes but you can also used frozen or tinned mango. I would just omit the mango on top as you can really tell that it is not fresh.

2 - The mangoes I used were ripe so they were perfect for a puree. If your mangoes aren't as ripe or sweet, add more sugar to the mango layer.

3 - I like making this with slightly more coconut than mango so that is why my measurement for the mango is slightly lower than the coconut.

4 - I use gelatin powder for this but if you're using gelatin leaves use enough leaves to set 320ml/11.3ozs of mango liquid and 500ml/1pint of coconut liquid. Each type of leaf gelatin is different. The great thing about having panna cotta in glasses (rather than ones that you turn out onto a plate) is that you can have them a bit softer set.

5 - I use a tea towel to rest the glasses. You can also use raw rice or beans to sit the glasses snugly. You can also not do the angled effect and just make it two layers.

6 - This mango panna cotta can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Add the fresh mango and mint before serving.

Dear Reader, I've decided to change the order of recipes so that I tell my story after the recipe so that if you're just wanting the recipe you don't have to read it. But if you like my little stories then you'll find them after the recipe from now on! :) xxx

Mango Panna Cotta

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 6 hours setting time

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Makes 6x100ml pots of panna cotta

For Mango Layer

• 300g/10.6ozs mango chunks

• 30g/1oz caster or superfine sugar (add more if mangoes are not ripe)

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 1/4 teaspoon gelatin powder

For Coconut Layer

• 300ml/10.6flozs pure or thickened cream

• 150ml/5flozs coconut cream

• 100g/3.5ozs caster or superfine sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1.5 teaspoons gelatin powder

• Extra mango, finely diced and fresh mint for decoration

Step 1 - Puree the mango chunks in a food processor until smooth and liquid. Add to a small saucepan along with the 30g/1oz sugar and stir in the sugar and dissolve. In a microwave proof wide bowl add the water and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface. Wait for 30 seconds to swell and then heat in microwave for 15 seconds until liquid. Pour into the mango puree and stir well.

Step 2 -Prep your glasses. Fold up a teatowel and place it on one side of a container or baking tin and see how the glasses will fit so that the filling can be angled without spilling and they will sit snugly. Pour the mango mixture into a jug and then carefully pour into the glass and then lean against the tea towel. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Step 3 -In a small saucepan, heat the cream and coconut cream with the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the vanilla bean paste. In a microwave proof wide bowl add the water and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface. Wait for 30 seconds to swell and then microwave for 15 seconds until liquid. Pour into the coconut cream and stir well. Allow to cool down at room temperature to 25C/77F or until cool to the touch but not set. Place in a jug.

Once the mango layer is set pour the coconut mixture on top of the mango. Refrigerate until set (2-3 hours). Add finely diced mango and mint on top and serve.

Mango Panna Cotta can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Add the fresh mango and mint before serving.

• Other Mango Dessert Recipes
• Mango Sorbet
• Mango Pancakes
• Mango Sticky Rice
• Mangoes & Cream Sago Pudding
• Mangoes & Cream Zebra Striped Cheesecake

Storytime!

We've been lucky to have a bit of extended warmth as summer stretches into Autumn this year and I've been taking advantage of mangoes like Keitts and Brooks which are the last mangoes of the season. After the years of crazy rain it has been nice to have a summer that actually felt like summer. The occasional rainy day is quite nice to break the sweltering heat.

We also had a little surprise in our house the other day, perhaps a result of a rainy day. It was a tiny green frog in our bathroom! Mr NQN sent me a picture of it as I was away. "Is the frog in our bathroom?" I asked him surprised. I've never seen a frog inside before.

"What have you been doing while I've been away?" I asked him. Because he is a hippy, country boy at heart and well who knows what he does.

He explained that apparently frogs can get into the sewerage pipes and make their way into bathrooms. "So do we have a pet frog now?!" I said excitedly.

Sadly he released froggy into the garden where apparently froggy already has friends. And I can only imagine the story that froggy told their friends when they returned of where they had been!

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever found a frog inside your house?