This week Kelly of Baking with the Boys selected Fresh Mango Bread for us to bake from Baking: From My Home to Yours. I thought that I had everything on hand, but Fate interceded, and I had to cobble the recipe together.
First, I thought I had enough mangoes: two from the store, and two from a friend’s tree in Florida. I had to throw the store mangoes out because they were so nasty they were an affront to all mangoes. I lived in Hawaii for almost 13 years and I had a mango tree, so I know a good mango from a bad one. The Florida mangoes were perfumed perfection, but together they only gave me a little over a cup of fruit, instead of the required 2 cups. So, I threw in some canned crushed pineapple.
Second, I couldn’t find my ground ginger, so I subbed two tablespoons of diced crystallized ginger.
Third, I realized – in the middle of baking – that I’d used up all my limes, an extraordinarily rare event around here since I have a citrus obsession. Remedy: lemon zest.
Fourth, I decided to use my industrial strength Vietnamese cinnamon, so I cut back on that, too, as recommended by Penzeys.
Fifth, I nixed the raisins and added some chopped walnuts.
Finally, I cut back the oil to 1/2 cup from 3/4 cup. I made up the difference with more crushed pineapple.
The loaf baked to a deep golden brown in an hour and fifteen minutes. Let me tell you, folks, this smells wonderful when it’s baking. The top had little bits of caramelized pineapple peeking out. I had some left over passionfruit buttercream (yes, after a year, it was still good!) from a previous Daring Bakers challenge, so I rather absent-mindedly smeared my first slice of the mango bread with some of it.
DING! DING! DING! Flavor explosion! Taste perfection! I’m writing down everything I did, because I loved this bread and I want to make it again. None of the spices overwhelmed the moist bread, everything worked together, and the passionfruit buttercream was literally the icing on the cake. Definitely on the repeat list! Check out Kelly’s blog for the original recipe, and the TWD website for the blog roll. My adapted recipe after the jump . . .
Fresh Mango Bread
adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours3 large eggs
1/2 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower oil (I used rice bran oil)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (next time I think I’ll cut this back to 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons diced crystallized ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or, if using a strong cinnamon, cut back to 3/4 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups diced mango (I used 1.5 cups mango, and 1/2 cup crushed canned pineapple)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
grated zest of 1/2 a lemon1. Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess, or spray with a baking spray that has both oil and flour in it. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.
2. Whisk the eggs, zest, and oil together.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and mix until blended. The batter will be very thick and not easily mixed, but it will soon come together.
5. Stir in the mango, nuts, all the pineapple, and the nuts. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake the bread for about 1 1/2 hours (start checking your bread at about 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes – mine was done by then), or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover it loosely with a foil tent.
7. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan and gently unmold the bread. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.
19 users responded in this post
That sounds like the ULTIMATE flavor explosion! I love all of the subs you made!! And you had a mango tree in your backyard in Hawaii!? I’d never leave!!!
I didn’t put raisins in mine, but cinnamon chips instead.
My mangos were a bit…sour?
YUM! Your changes sound delicious. So does that passionfruit buttercream.
I love every single one of those ideas for additions that you made. Those flavors all together must be so wonderful…and the cystalized ginger would send it over the top. Gorgous photo inside and out. Need to try your variation soon, very soon! Best thing each week is seeing how everyone adjusts the recipes…I am so uncreative that I never do as I am sure it won’t turn out…so very fun to see all this from you this week!
Looks terrific, love the addition of pineapple! Well done.. 🙂
Wow…sounds like a real winner! All of your changes sound delicious and your bread looks spectacular!
You lived in Hawaii and you had a mango tree? Wow, I’m jealous! Your loaf sounds awesome. I definitely want to try this bread with pineapple.
I have true Vietnamese cinnamon as well, and it can be overpowering unless you remember to cut it back.
But really, it doesn’t matter, since I ate all the mangos and didn’t bother making the bread!
I love the changes you made and I love pineapples. I will certainly try this version soon.
Wonderful job!
This sounds amazing! And you definitely would know a good mango from a bad one, having lived in Hawaii. When I was a child living in Papua New Guinea, we had a mango tree outside our front door. Beautiful shade and wonderful, tree-ripened fruit. Nothing like it! I love your passionfruit addition! Sounds heavenly!!
The subs you made were creative! Your bread looks fantastic and I’d love a slice, especially with passionfruit buttercream!! =)
Way to go! I never follow Penzey’s advice, usually using most of what the recipe calls for when I use the Vietnamese Cinnamon (but I *heart* cinnamon). I bet this was amazing with the pineapple!
Necessity seems to be the mother of delicious invention in the case of this beautiful bread! I was wondering how pineapple would do, and it looks fabulous. Great job making this your own (and a bit healthier too!)
Wow! This looks great…what a flavor combination!
I love the addition of the pineapple – it looks devine!
Pretty cool that you added this, subtracted that, and came up with a masterpiece. I hope to be wise enough in the kitchen to do that someday. Have a bite for me!
I love the changes you made – so wonderful!
Wonderful subs. Next time I will have to try your version. Fantabulous.
The pineapple sounds like an excellent addition to this recipe. Yum.