Apple Mango Crisp with Lemon Whipped Cream

How to Get the Taste You Want When Baking With Apples This Fall

Aug 31, 2009

Crispness and sweetness varies greatly among apples. The recipe allows adjustment for the type of apple, and the ripeness of the mango. Make it to your taste as it bakes.

Ever made an apple dessert that wasn't sweet enough or was too sweet? Did it end up being runny, or did it end up way too dry? With as many apple varieties as there are on the market, any given apple pie or other baked apple recipe will yield just as many results. The amount of sugar that works for one type of apple can be way too much with another apple variety. Here's a recipe that allows you to adjust the outcome as it bakes - for the results you like.

Apple Mango Crisp with Dried Cranberries

Toss the apples and mango with the other ingredients except flour, and pack tightly in a 2" deep buttered pie dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir the fruit, and check for sweetness and juice. If the mango is not very ripe, it will require longer baking. Baking softens fruit and releases its juices. The firmer the fruit, the longer it needs to bake. Sprinkle the fruit with the flour, and stir to thicken the juices. When both the mango and apple start to soften, prepare the topping.

For the Topping

Blend the brown sugar with the butter. Add the flour to the mixture and sprinkle on top of the fruit. The topping will be crumbly. Bake an additional 30 minutes, or until the topping is browned. Serve with lemon whipped cream.

Lemon Whipped Cream

Stir the sugar and lemon together, microwave for 20 seconds to dissolve sugar. Refrigerate until cool. Whip the cream until peaks form, and slowly whip the lemon sugar mixture into the cream. Refrigerate until needed.

Apples for Baking

OK, you find a recipe using apples that looks and sounds good. Most recipes don't specify what kind of apples. What to do? Take a bite out your apple. Rate it on the following qualities to determine how to adjust the recipe for the taste you crave.

Crispness

If the apple just falls apart in your mouth, it will fall apart when baked. Apples with no crispness will bake quickly, giving up liquid. Apples with a good crunch will hold their shape better when baked, and may require some more baking to give up their juice. If the apple is downright hard to chew, it will require lots of baking to soften the apple and make it give up its juice. Pre-baking can help soften hard apples to avoid over-baked crust and under-baked apples.

Juiciness & Sweetness

Apples pretty much bake in their own juice. Added sugar helps draw the juice out of the apples as they bake. Too much juice and you have soggy results. Generally, the juicier the apple, the sweeter it is. Tossing the apples with a little flour (a tablespoon more or less) will absorb excess juice. Adjust he amount of flour to suit the juiciness of your apples.

Apples are the great American fruit for fall baking. Adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to suit both the apples and your taste. This avoids both overly sweet baked apple desserts and mouth puckering tartness. Overcome differences in apples by adjusting baking times. Extra firm, dry apples need extra baking time. Bake them enough to soften before adding to other ingredients.

The copyright of the article Apple Mango Crisp with Lemon Whipped Cream in Baking & Desserts is owned by Corinne Shibley. Permission to republish Apple Mango Crisp with Lemon Whipped Cream in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.