Mango Cheese Cakes

Do you know anyone who doesn't like cheesecake? I don't! And there are so many variations that often it is very difficult to decide which one to make. There are those with crusts or without, baked or unbaked, with dried fruit or without, and others again with fresh fruit on top.

Little Mango Cheesecakes fresh from the oven

The recipe used was handed down to me by my grandmother and I have been baking it, as is, for many years, without variations because it is that good! But since there are so many different types nowadays I decided to create my own version. Now we are at the height of the mango season, so my idea was to make a fresh mango puree and incorporate it to the traditional mix.

To get the best cheesecake ever I recommend that you make your own cottage cheese first because it is preferable to shop bought cream cheese. My recipe for making your own can be found in my previous post. Also make your own mango puree because the canned variety is a poor substitute. Fresh is best; no preservatives, additives or other chemicals we don't want in our food! How to make your own puree is described in the post before. I tried to link but for some reason it did not work, so, please, bear with me!

All the baked cheesecakes I have tasted were made with flour like most other cakes and had a crust at the bottom. But my grandmother's recipe has no crust and no flour but wonderful texture throughout which is decidedly a plus! To achieve this texture the recipe calls for semolina instead, the finer the semolina the smoother the texture. I like to go the middle way so I have a cake with a little chew!

And now for the recipe:

Mango Cheesecakes

Recipe by Anne Lawal

This mixture makes 12 - 16 little cakes, depending on size of muffin tin and liners. The time variation depends on the moisture content of the cottage cheese. These cakes are lovely when fresh but improve enormously (in my opinion) if kept in the fridge overnight and eaten cold. Maybe with a dollop of whipped cream!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 - 45 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes - 1 hour+
Yield: 12 - 16 little cakes

Ingredients:

• 125 g butter
• 200 g sugar
• 300 g cottage cheese
• 200 g mango puree
• 3 eggs, separated
• juice & zest of half lemon
• 100 g semolina
• 1 tsp baking powder

Cooking directions:

1. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy, then add juice and zest of the lemon and the egg yolks. Pass the cottage cheese through a sieve in order to remove any lumps. Add to the mixture together with the mango puree and stir to incorporate. Add the semolina and the baking powder, stir to combine. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and place on top of the batter. Fold in the whites gently with a metal spoon until worked in, but do not stir. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop portion the mix into prepared muffin tins. Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf for 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When done cool on a wire rack.

Ready for the oven

Freshly baked