Belize Summer in a Bowl: Mango Crumble

Summer in Belize means FRUIT to me.  And there is no fruit nearer or dearer to my heart than the mango.  It is absolutely delicious…tropically fabulous…a dessert in itself.   Why, you may ask,  mess with perfection?  Gild the lily?

mango

Well…because sometimes, eating these orange beauties warm, with a brown sugar/oatie crumble on top with whipped topping or ice cream makes me very very VERY happy.

Much fruit in Belize is seasonal and we are now in the heart of the mango season.  Big juicy beauties are $2bzd a piece (or cheaper if you buy a bunch) here on Ambergris Caye.  And if you live on the mainland?  I bet you have a huge mango tree in your yard and you might be wondering what to do with them all – I can think of nothing more luxurious.

An explosion of mangoes = heaven.

gild mango

Here is my recipe for Mango Crumble.  This is the most basic.  Feel free to adjust to your liking – there is room to work here.  And I have some suggestions at the bottom.

  • 3-4 Ripe Juicy Mangoes (taste each one to insure quality)
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup to sprinkle on mangoes
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup Quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 12 ounces of cold butter – 1 1/2 sticks
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Optional:  1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Maybe needed:  1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You are going to need a pan.  8″ by 11″ is good.  You want to cut the mango into chunk (smaller than mine) and lay them in a single layer.  No need to get fancy.

Mango (1)

Make sure your sous chef is ready…

Mango (5)

Cut up mangoes into smaller chunks than these – next time I’ll chop each of these slice into three pieces.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  Cover with the juice of one lime.  If your mangoes are very juicy, mix the lime juice with cornstarch until smooth and then pour over mangoes.

Mango (7)

Now it’s time to crumble.  In a bowl mix all dry ingredients.

Mango (6)

Dice cold butter and smush it into dry ingredients until combined…it should be…well…crumbly.

Mango (4)

Cover your fruit evenly under your sous chef’s careful watch.

Mango (3)

Pop in oven immediately.  Best when the butter is still cold-ish.  Bake for 45 mins to one hour until the crust browns and the juices bubble.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or…mmmmm…Cool Whip.

Mango (2)

Cinnamon in the crumble would be delicious.  I bet you could do something amazing with a bit of ginger.  But if you want something warm and comforting and just gorgeous?  Try this out.  It’s something that will make you very happy.  Eat them plain, eat them in crumbles and crisps and cobblers…just eat mangoes.

mango green

If you are not sure of the type or the sweetness or if it is ripe, ask at your fruit stand.  They’ll know 🙂

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Summer Lovin'

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