…and so my Filipino macaron adventure continues with the mango; the national fruit of the Philippines.

The Phillipines is amongst the top mango exporters in the world.  With its tropical climate, the country produces some of the sweetest mangos.  Aside from its global presence, mangos were one of the first fruits I recall falling in love with as a child.  Like the smell of rice cooking in a Tiger rice cooker, I find the taste of mangos comforting.  This golden fruit was peeled + sliced and accompanied every home cooked meal; meat + veg + rice + mangos!  Mangos are my taste of home.

To make these mango macarons, I stuck with my go-to cookie recipe sandwiched around a fresh mango cream.

M A C A R O N  S H E L L S :
…ingredients + golden yellow gel food colour
…recipe 

F R E S H  M A N G O  C R E A M | recipe adapted from Ladurée Sucré :
[prepare 1 day in advance]

**enough to fill 35-40 macarons

…ingredients
80g granulated sugar
1tsp corn starch
1 large egg
1c fresh ripe mango purée
1/2c softened butter

…recipe
in a sauce pan, mix together sugar + cornstarch
add egg | mix
add mango purée | mix
cook over low heat | stir with a spatula until it simmers allowing the cream to thicken
remove from heat | let cool for 10 minutes | mixture is to stay hot but not scalding [about 60ºC / 140ºF]
transfer mixture into a food processor/blender | add softened butter
cream together until a homogenous mixture is formed
transfer into an air tight container and refrigerate for at least 12hrs allowing the cream to firm up

before use, allow the cream so slightly soften in room temp
spoon into pipping bag and pipe onto each set of macaron shells

My first attempt at mango macarons was a success!  The mango cream flavour was sweet but subtle.  Though at first taste, my panel of testers couldn’t pin down the flavour but after telling them it was mango, they immediately got it; which is usually the case when I switch from artificial to fresh flavouring.

It should be no surprise that I ate these golden yellow macarons 2 at a time.  I am definitely adding mango to my list of flavour favourites.

**mango bundle pic from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango