No-bake Mango Cheesecake

This mango season sees the sprouting of many mango bakes in the blogsphere that I think readers are all spolit for choice on the variety that one could do with this tropical fruit.

Mango cheesecake was the first thing that came to my mind whenever I thought of baking with mangoes, for I've been eyeing this mango cheesecake recipe in one of the issue of Food & Travel Magazine. I bought a block of cream cheesecake some time back, planning to bake a birthday cake for my girlfriend but plans changed and it had been sitting in the fridge till now, waiting for me!

I set a day to bake a mango cheesecake. I told myself I had to do it before the cream cheese expire. With that, I bought everything, getting ready to make it when I got home. But but, I was too tired when I reach home that day. :( I almost wanted to give up making the cheesecake. In the end, I decided to make something simpler instead, and opted a non-bake cheesecake, which I think would be easier and less tedious.

Sometimes, I really have to salute to some bloggers out there who could make really beautiful birthday layered cakes or pastries with such patience and passion. Although I have been baking for quite a few years, baking cakes for my friends and family, I felt my standard has remained stagnant. I just wished I could have more time, more energy, more patience to be involved in my hobby. But I couldn't do that because of my work committments. But, I do see some coping well and could still bake, cook and take care of their children despite a full-time working lady. I really wonder what would happen if I were to have a child next time... :P My colleagues have been telling me that there's no way I could bake if I have kids, given our current workload.

So, well... I guess there has to be a give and take... if time is limited, you can't possibly do everything well and there's something you got to sacrifice... like how much time you are prepared to spend on your hobby, and how much committment you need to spend on your work, and how much sleep you want to and can sacrifice. It's all about time management and juggling well on your career, family, hobby... the worklife balance. Anyway, sorry for digressing so much and lamenting on all these. Thoughts just came pouring.... :P

Anyhow, I believe the work and effort that you put in will eventually reap its rewards. After receiving the promotion letter yesterday, at least I felt more comforted, that at least the time and effort I spent was worth it. ;)

Back to this no-bake cheesecake, it was not really a success. After letting it set in the fridge for about 8 hours through the entire night, the cheese custard was still rather soft and not firm enough. I believed it was due to the gelatin that was not fully dissolved when I melted it, hence forming some clumps which I discarded. I remembered I used to make a non-bake strawberry cheesecake many years back and the texture was like jelly!

mmm.... I really need to practice more on such frozen desserts like as mousse and non-bake cakes. I always seem not able to get it correct... arghh.

Although this mango cheesecake didnt set as well as it should be, the taste was great and it indeed melt in the mouth, as what Happy Homebaker advised. The sad thing was, about half of it was wasted because I tried to bring to the office for my colleagues to try but it ended up in a melted mash. :P

I'd initially wanted to submit this post to the Aspiring Baker #5: Fruity March, but on second thought, decided not to as I didn't manage to take a nice picture of it, and the unsuccessful attempt with it. But rest assured the recipe os trusted, cos' it's from Florence's Chilled Mango Cheesecake. ;)