Mucho Mango Tart
Lynley Jones
Miles of mangoes and flaky puff pastry make for an impressive dessert, especially when topped with Cajeta de Leche.
Makes 2 long rectangular tarts serving 8-12 (or individual tarts serving fewer, see notes)
Ingredients
Mucho Mango Tart made in the Adventure Kitchen. Recipe makes two long rectangular tarts, serving 8-12 people, depending on the size of the slices. Serve with homemade Cajeta de Leche caramel sauce (see notes), or ice cream or whipped cream.
1 TB flour, plus more to use while rolling out the pastry
1 sheet frozen puff pastry such as DuFour (14 oz package), thawed in refrigerator
6 mangoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 C Mexican Sweet Blend (or 1/3 cup grated piloncillo or light brown sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons Ceylon or cassia cinnamon)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TB white (table) sugar
Instructions
Prep the Pastry
1. Carefully remove the puff pastry from all packaging, unfold it and lay it flat on a lightly floured surface such that it is wider than it is tall. Gently roll the pastry a few times until your rectangle is about 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide. (This should only take a few rolls). Don't press down too hard or you'll risk compressing all those puffy layers of pastry goodness!
2. Use a pair of clean kitchen scissors to cut the rectangle horizontally into two long rectangles, each about 6 by 16 inches. (If you prefer, you can cut the pastry into smaller rectangles for individual portions, serving fewer people. See notes.) Transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet covered with baking parchment.
3. Use a sharp knife with a smooth - not serrated - blade (like a paring knife) to very lightly mark a 1-inch border all around both rectangles. Do not cut through the pastry! Start in one corner, lightly placing the tip of the knife about 1 inch from the edge. Gently drag the blade of the knife over the surface of the dough to the other end of the rectangle, staying 1 inch away from the edge, and allowing the weight of the knife to cut through only the top surface of the pastry. Continue until you have made a border around the entire rectangle, then repeat with the other rectangle. This will allow the edge of the pastry to rise separate from the rest, so that your tart will have a nice border when it is finished.
4. After you have made the borders, use a fork to gently prick the top surface of the dough inside the borders of each rectangle. Put the baking sheet with the pastry on it in the refrigerator to rest for about 10 minutes (or longer), while you prepare the mangoes.
Mix the Mangoes
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with the rack in the middle position. Place the cubed mangoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 TB flour, the Mexican Sweet Blend (or the combined piloncillo/light brown sugar and cinnamon), the vanilla extract and a generous pinch of salt. Mix everything together so that the mangoes are evenly coated with everything.
Par-Bake the Pastry
6. Take the baking sheet out of the refrigerator and sprinkle the white sugar evenly all around the borders. Slide it into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. The pastry is just partially cooked at this point, so the puffed-up center should deflate as it sits. (If not, you can gently prick just the top surface in a few places to help it go down.) Use a fork to press lightly in the middle section of each rectangle to form a good smooth surface for the mangoes to rest on.
Finish the Dish
7. Spoon the mango mixture evenly over the middle of each rectangle to form a gentle mound, avoiding the borders. Put the tarts back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the mangoes are hot and bubbly. (If the pastry seems to brown too much before the mangoes are fully heated, cover the borders loosely with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.) When finished, cool on a rack for a few minutes to allow the mangoes to set up a bit before serving.
Notes:
You can serve these tarts hot or room temperature (as with any pie-type dish, hot is, of course, amazing!).
You can cut the pastry into any size rectangles or squares that you'd like. If cutting into smaller individual portions, each guest will have more pastry border and a little less mango, so you may not need all the mango this recipe calls for. Also, if baking smaller individual tarts, cooking time will be reduced. Watch your tarts and take them out when you see the cues described in the recipe.
The best way to serve this is with warm, homemade Cajeta de Leche sauce, which makes for a distinctively Mexican end to any fiesta. Or for a simpler approach, top each portion with a small scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream. Or heck, just eat it as is, and let those delicious mangoes steal the show.