Mexican Mango Trifle (Ante de Mango)

Aw, creamy fruit desserts, who doesn't love 'em? This one's a conversation-stopper, layers of bread and a mango pudding studded with sherry-soaked raisins, much like an English Trifle but simpler. The recipe comes from Seasons of My Heart, the cooking school in Oaxaca, Mexico, where it's called "ante de mango" or "layered mango pudding" or "mango charlotte". That's a lot of names for a dish that makes up in minutes and is surprisingly low in calories!

Everyone’s heard of Cinco de Mayo but what about Cinco de Abril? Ha – that’s the 5th of April and the date selected for a few friends to gather for dinner earlier this month. Our clever hosts, Denise of the food blog Eat Laugh Love and her husband Craig chose the theme and assigned courses.

We got dessert, challenge on!

We checked Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless cookbooks before hitting upon the obvious but inspired choice, perfect for spring: a mango pudding we first tasted in Oaxaca, Mexico back in 2009. It was the sweet ending to a hands-on cooking class at Seasons of My Heart, the cooking school owned by Susana Trilling, who once hosted a cooking show on PBS.

What an inspiration! The pudding is barely sweet, letting the mango really shine. It’s smooth and cold, with a little texture contrast from the pudding-soaked bread and the sherry-soaked raisins.

Wow. I’m so glad that Cinco de Mayo is this weekend. This Mexican Mango Trifle deserves a repeat performance!

ALANNA's TIPS For bread, choose a soft and slightly sweet bread. I found soft rolls at a Mexican bakery (for St. Louisans, Diana’s Bakery on Cherokee Street) but a challah would work, so would panettone. Yes this is becoming a very trans-national trifle! We served our Mexican Mango Trifle in a trifle bowl. This means it looks pretty up to the moment it’s served then turns into a pudding-y mess. For something prettier to serve, use individual parfait glasses. Next time, I’d like to serve a small cookie with the trifle, maybe a Mexican wedding cookie in a baton shape, maybe a piece of puff pastry baked to resemble a churro.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

MEXICAN MANGO TRIFLE RECIPE

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 24 hours
Makes 6 cups, about 12 servings (easy to cut in third)

• About 3 cups sweet bread cubes (see ALANNA’s TIPS)

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup dry sherry

• 3 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

• Toasted coconut

PLAN AHEAD This dessert should be made at least a day ahead of time, two would work as well.

DRY THE BREAD To dry the bread slightly, place cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 200F oven until lightly toasted.

SOAK THE RAISINS In a small saucepan, cover and simmer raisins and sherry for about 10 minutes. Strain the raisins, reserving the liquid.

BLEND THE MANGO In a blender, process half the mango and the evaporated milk until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Process the remaining mango and the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Transfer to the bowl, add the vanilla and stir to combine well.

TO COMBINE In a large glass bowl, build these layers twice.

half the bread cubes
half the raisin cooking liquid
half the raisins (reserve a few for the top)
half the mango mixture

TO FINISH Top with the reserved raisins and toasted coconut.

CHILL Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for at least one day.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 162 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 13mg Cholesterol; 81mg Sodium; 30g Carb; 1g Fiber; 22g Sugar; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 3, WW PointsPlus 4 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving, 5 tablespoons; 50-calorie serving, 2.5 tablespoons.

Adapted from Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico by Susana Trilling. DISCLOSURE My Disclosure Promise

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