My mom tells me that when I was a baby, I used to take my rice cereal with cardamom, almonds, and Parle G biscuits. I, of course, have no memory of this, but what I do remember is eating these biscuits by the packet as a child. Parle G biscuits are a ubiquitous part of Indian kids’ lives. When I was a kid, they were on the list of healthy snacks, and I didn’t complain as they tasted an awful lot like cookies to me! I learned to perfect the art of the Parle G milk dunk: too short and it was too crispy, too long and you lost your cookie to the depths of the glass. They have been such a part of my life for so long that eating them is a rush of both nostalgia and comfort.
Now that we are in this strange time, approaching a holiday season like no other, knowing that I won’t be traveling home for Thanksgiving with my parents and extended family, Parle G biscuits felt like the perfect thing to reach for when making dessert. In this case, I combined the nostalgic flavor of Parle G with the similarly nostalgic flavor of mango and cream. Another one of my favorite treats as a child was mango pulp (we call it ras) mixed with a bit of milk and scooped up with fluffy fried bread called puri. The combination was delicious and so evocative of the comfort and nostalgia that this holiday season is supposed to bring.
The Parle Gs are blitzed up in the food processor until they are fine crumbs. Melted butter is poured in and spun until the mixture resembles wet sand. Then, all of it is carefully formed into the bottom of a tart pan. I used another nostalgic piece of equipment: a tiny steel bowl called a vadki to assist my smushing. It’s baked until bubbling and a few shades darker, then set aside to cool.
The mango mousse filling is even simpler. I borrowed this method with some tweaks to the recipe to enhance the mango flavor even more. We also have canned mango pulp on hand, my favorite is this sugar free Kesar mango pulp as it allows me to titrate the sweetness as I like, but if you can find Alphonso mango pulp, please use that! You simply heat up half the pulp while blooming gelatin, dissolve some sugar in the pulp, stir in the gelatin, add the rest of the pulp and cool. Then, whip heavy cream to medium to firm peaks, and fold in the cooled mango mixture. Pour it into the prepared tart shell, and cool in the fridge until set. You will likely have a small amount of extra mousse, no worries, chef’s treat!
To take it over the top, whip up some more whipped cream with vanilla and toasted sugar, using the absolute genius Stella Parks’ recipe for super stable whipped cream and pipe to add a bit more fun to the smooth orange top (also because you realize that you are maybe not so good at smoothing out tart tops…), reserving plenty on the side to dollop on top.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, I hope everyone is celebrating safely and staying healthy. I hope this dessert overflowing with nostalgia and comfort brings some joy to this strange holiday season.
Mango Tart with Parle G Cardamom Crust
| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: 1 9-inch tart | Total: |
An airy mango mouse tart with a buttery Parle G biscuit crust with a hint of cardamom.
You'll Need...
- For the Parle G Biscuit Crust:
- 6 oz Parle G Biscuits(about 3 small packets)
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter, melted
- 1 large pinch salt
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- For the Mango Mousse:
- 1.5 cups Unsweetened Mango Pulp
- 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 1 large pinch salt
- 1.5 tsp gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 70 g (1/3 cup) Toasted Sugar, or granulated white sugar
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large pinch salt
Directions
- First make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place the Parle G biscuits in the bowl of a food processor along with the cardamom and salt. Pulse until finely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Carefully press into a tart pan with a removable bottom. I recommend pressing in the sides first with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the mixture, then filling in the bottom to ensure even distribution.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 mins, or until bubbling and a shade or two darker. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Then, make the mango filling:
- Place the gelatin in a bowl along with about 1 tbsp of water and set aside to bloom.
- Combine half of the mango pulp and the sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat while stirring continuously. Heat only until somewhat steamy and hot to the touch, there is no need to boil.
- Add the gelatin to the mango and sugar mixture and stir thoroughly to dissolve. Add the remaining room temperature mango pulp to the mixture and stir completely.
- Place the saucepan in an ice bath and stir continuously to cool to just below room temperature. You don't want the gelatin to set up, so stir continuously while cooling. Once cool but not cold to the touch, remove from the ice bath and set aside.
- In the bowl of a standmixer, whip the 1 cup heavy whipping cream to medium firm peaks. Gradually fold the mango mixture into the whipped cream, being sure not to deflate the whipped cream.
- Pour this into the completely cool tart shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until completely set.
- To finish and decorate with whipped cream:
- Place all the ingredients for the vanilla whipped cream in the bowl of a standmixer and beat on medium for about 1 min to fully dissolve the sugar, then increase the speed and whip until medium-firm peaks form. Pipe into a decorative pattern of choice and save the extra to serve on the side.
- Enjoy!
Additional Notes
The toasted sugar, is completely optional and can be substituted with regular sugar. I had some on hand so used it. It adds a bit more complex and muted sweetness compared to regular sugar.
Mango filling adapted from Serious Eats
Vanilla Whipped Cream adapted from Bravetart, by Stella Parks
Special Equipment needed: 9-inch tart pan, Stand Mixer, piping bags and tips
6 Comments
Happy Thanksgiving! Will miss you. Not even making pecan pie
Will miss you too!
Good Job Mamu.
We are missing Thanksgiving dinner planning and preparation for 40 + people seat down dinner. Does not feel like celebrating.
We have to be safe.
Mango tart looks so great I might prepare.
Keep it up.
I miss all those big thanksgivings too!
I can almost taste the deliciousness.
Bon appetit.
Thanks, Dad!