mango tango

As I've mentioned, I try not to keep the sweets that I make in the house so we don't eat all of them. So when things turn out relatively edible or above, my co-workers benefit. And I think people are starting to realize it because I got my first request... mango bars! To be honest, I didn't even know if mango bars were a real thing because I don't eat mangoes much and have certainly never cooked with them. After a quick search, it turns out that they are real and I gave it a shot. I pretty much followed this recipe, but made a couple of modifications. What I ended up doing is below.

Mango Bars

Crust
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter

Sift the flour and sugar together. Cut in butter and mix well - I kneaded it a bit at the end to make sure. Pat into a 9x13 pan evenly, covering the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Filling
4 mangoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
bit of lemon zest (optional)
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

Put mangoes, sugar, 1/3 c. water, lemon juice, and zest into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until mangoes are tender - I mashed them with a masher, as well. In a small dish, mix the cornstarch and 3 Tbsp. water well; add to the tender mango mixture and cook until thick. Pour the completed mixture on top of the baked crust.

Topping
2 c. quick oats
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. butter

Mix oats, flour, and sugar together. Cut in butter with a fork and mix well. Sprinkle over mango mixture in the 9x13 pan (and snitch a couple of pinches while you're doing it - the topping is tasty on it's own).

Bake the whole thing at 350 degrees for 50 minutes; cool and enjoy.

This was yesterday. Today, I brought them to work and pawned off most of the pan (minus the couple we ate last night). Co-worker was excited that I actually made mango bars and people really liked them! I did get some funny looks and some "What are mango bars?" 's -- but I had the same reaction initially, so cannot complain about that. You should try these!