Mango & coconut splice blocks

December 18-19, 2015

On the weekend before Christmas, our friends put on a yum cha feast. I was originally planning to bring along some mango coconut splice jellies but with the temperature approaching 40 degrees I decided to put them on ice.

For a vegan and gluten-free crowd, I adapted a recipe that my grandmother and Mum both made in years gone by. The original blends canned mangoes and sugar syrup, then layers them with dairy cream. I couldn't help noticing that canned mangoes are stored in sugar syrup, and so just used that in the fruity layer. I replaced the dairy cream with coconut cream, natch.

I couldn't find a perfectly level spot in the freezer to store my splice blocks, so the ratio of mango to coconut varied from one end of the container to the other. I didn't mind in the least! They're dense and full of ice crystals, but sweet and soothing in the summer heat. You'd struggle to put a dainty spoon through them, and I've been content to eat them with sticky fingers on many afternoons.

Mango & coconut splice blocks

(adapted from a family recipe, transcribed below)

3 x 425g can mangoes including the syrup they're stored in 

juice of half a lemon

pinch of salt

1 x 400mL can coconut cream

Line a large baking tray or rectangular lidded container with foil.

Place the mangoes and their syrup and the lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Blend them until very smooth. Place 1 cup of the mango puree in a bowl; stir the salt and coconut cream into this puree. Pour the coconut mixture into the foil-lined tray and freeze it until firm, around 4 hours.

Pour the remaining mango puree over the frozen coconut layer and freeze again until firm, at least 4 more hours. Cut the slice into blocks and serve on a saucer or wrapped in paper.

Frozen mango bars
(a recipe inherited from my grandmother and Mum)

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups water
3 x 425g cans sliced mangoes, drained
300mL thickened cream

Combine sugar and water, stir over low heat until dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool.

Blend mangoes, syrup and juice until smooth. Combine 1 cup mango mixture with cream. Line lamington pan with foil, pour in cream mixture. Freeze until firm. Pour remaining mixture over frozen cream. Freeze several hours until firm. Cut into squares.