Coconut Mango Tart

 This is still a draft of the recipe. Once I get another can of mango pulp I'll try it again and post the exact amounts.

The tart has 4 layers. A biscuit crumb layer at the bottom, then a cake layer, a coconut cream layer and finally a mango cream layer at the top. 

Preparation time: depends!; made 6

Ingredients:

Biscuit layer:
	Biscuits
	Butter/margarine
Cake layer:
	Sponge or white cake
Coconut layer:
250 ml	Coconut cream
	Pinch of salt
2 tbsp.	Cornstarch
2 oz	Sugar
1	Egg
Mango layer:
250 ml	Unsweetened mango pulp
	Pinch of salt
2 tbsp.	Cornstarch
2 oz	Sugar
1	Egg
1oz	Butter/margarine

Method:

Crush the biscuits (about 200g?) and add some melted butter (or margarine if you need it to be dairy free) (about 2 tbsp?). Stir well to combine and press into the bottom of the dish.

These are some Santa cookies leftover from Christmas

Take a pre-baked sheet cake. It can be any kind. I used some left over cake from my daughters birthday. You can use sponge cake or any butter cake. It should not be very thick. About 1 cm should do. Cut it to shape and place it on top of the biscuit base. If you have some left over cake "crumbs" you could mix them with a bit of buttercream and press them on top of the biscuit base.

Here you can see that the biscuit layer is very thin approx. 0.5 cm and the cake is about 1 cm. The "pudding" layers are also about 1 cm. Notice that the coconut layer is thinner in the middle than on the sides. This is because the cake layer was not flat

Make the coconut pudding. This is just a pastry cream substituting the milk with coconut milk and leaving out the butter. Coconut milk is very fatty. You don't need any more fat. If you don't have coconut cream just use any type of coconut milk. Just be aware that you may have to add more cornstarch to make the pudding thick enough. In a small saucepan bring the coconut milk/cream and the salt to just under a boil. While it's heating whisk together the cornstarch and the sugar. Add the egg to the mix and whisk until smooth. Then take 1/3 of the hot milk and add it to the egg mixture whisking continuously. Once well combined pour the egg mixture back into the hot coconut milk and whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking all the time. Once it thickens remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour the coconut pudding on top of the cake while it is still warm and allow it to cool.

While it is cooling make the mango pudding. The process is the same as above just substitute mango pulp for the coconut. If your mango pulp is sweetened omit the sugar from the recipe. Add the butter (or margarine for a dairy free variety) once you remove the pan from the heat. Add a tablespoon at a time and whisk each time until well combined. 

Pour the mango pudding on top of the coconut pudding. Cover with cling wrap and allow to set. Decorate with fruit and some mango pulp and serve. 

Simple, Delicious Chocolate Mousse

Have you ever eaten something that was so simple to make and yet so extremely godly?

NO? The only things that are godly are sooooo difficult to make...

Well then you really need to try out this amazingly simple chocolate mousse. You should be warned... it is extremely unhealthy. Although I was told by my German friend who gave me the recipe that "it's all good fat!" Whether you believe this or not the mousse is heavenly.

I only make this recipe when I can get ultra fresh eggs because the list of ingredients includes RAW EGGS. My "ultra fresh eggs" come from my friend who keeps hens as pets. She picks up an egg box, walks out to the hen house, fills the box with eggs and then drives to work. I then get a phone call, or a text, or a Whatsapp message to come and pick up the eggs. The eggs are divine.

Last week I received such a message and went to pick up my eggs. Immediately when I got home I put together my mousse so it would set in time for dinner.

This recipe makes 8 servings (servings size - VERY SMALL - as seen in the above photo). I usually make half the recipe because I don't like to keep any in the fridge owing to the raw eggs.

Ingredients:

200g	Dark chocolate (otherwise known as semi-sweet)
4	Eggs
1/2 l	Whipping cream

Method:

Melt the chocolate. I like to do this in the microwave but you have to be very careful that you don't burn the chocolate. You also have to be careful that you don't make it too hot because if the chocolate is hot it will cook the eggs and you will not have chocolate mousse for dinner tonight!

I leave the microwave on high and put the chocolate in for 30 seconds. Then I take it out and look to see how far it is melted. If more than half of it is melted, and the bowl is hot, then I stir the chocolate and let it sit. If not, I put it back in the microwave and keep heating it until enough is melted. By the time I'm done with the eggs the chocolate has completely melted and it's not very hot. If your microwave has hot spots I would recommend using a double boiler (Fill a pan 1/4 with water and suspend another bowl with the chocolate in it over it. Let the water simmer and stir the chocolate until it is melted. Allow to cool).

Oh and one other thing, make sure you get absolutely no water/moisture into your chocolate. If you do it will seize and again... there will be no chocolate mousse for you tonight!

Melted Chocolate

Next beat the eggs until they are fluffy.

Note there are only two eggs in the photo

Add the melted chocolate to the beaten eggs and mix until well combined.

Add the whipping cream and whip till the cream gets thick. This is the only step that is a bit tricky and how tricky it is depends on what cream you are using and in which country you live in. In the USA I've beaten heavy whipping cream for ages and nothing bad ever happens. If you do this in Germany with regular "schlagsahne" it will curdle i.e. turn into butter, so one has to be really careful. I rather under beat it than over beat it. If you use Kothmale fresh cream it will also curdle. 

Another trick to beating your cream quickly is to make sure it is cold. It's not a problem if you are using fresh cream because it would have been stored in the fridge, but if you use a long life variety make sure you chill it first. It's a real time saver. Since I never know that I'm going to make mousse in advance I just stick a pack, or two, in the freezer before I begin and by the time I get to using it, it is decently chilled. 

At the end the mixture looks like this:

You can then be lazy and put this directly in the fridge to set or you can pipe it into individual bowls as in the photo all the way at the top. Then chill the mousse for 2 - 3 hours. You can serve it how ever you like but mine like it with a bit of fruit a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a few pieces of grated chocolate.