Mama’s Sticky Mango Almond Bars

It’s true when they say mothers know best. This sticky mango almond bar recipe is my mom’s, while the big stash of dried mango candy (plus some tamarind and pineapple candy) is from G’s mom, sent all the way from the Philippines (if only real fresh Philippine mangoes were allowed in the US). 

I decided to finish some of these candy not by eating them as is (although I think I could, it’s just not a great idea), but by making them into something yummier!

Read on for the recipe.

Mama’s Sticky Mango Almond Bars

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of dried mango candy or chopped dried mango
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar + more for dusting if preferred
  • 1/2 cup cold butter
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Procedure

1. Place water and mango in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, covered, if you are using dried mango candy or 10-15 minutes if you are using dried mango. Carefully drain water. Mash with the back of a spoon.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar.

4. Cut butter into the flour mixture using a knife or a pastry cutter (or pulse everything if you have a food processor) until the mixture has a crumbly texture.

5. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with foil or wax paper, then press the crust mixture on the base of the pan. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

6. Whisk together 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and chopped almonds.

7. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and lemon extract/zest together. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then fold the boiled dried mango into the batter.

8. Pour the mixture onto the crust and bake for 20-25 min at 350F.

9. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate for an hour more, cut into squares, then dust with confectioner’s sugar (if preferred).

The result is a butter and crumbly crust and a sweet mango layer with some crunch from the almonds…a little taste of home. :)

10 Notes/ Hide

  1. redblackapron posted this