Recipe: Hong Kong / Yum Cha Mango Pancakes (Mango Pillow Crepes) - 5 recipes

HONG KONG MANGO PANCAKE
(DIM SUM DESSERT RECIPE)

CREPES:
25g (3 Tbsp) cornstarch
2-3 Tbsp sugar (if mango isn't very sweet use more)
50g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
A few drops yellow food coloring (optional)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
WHIPPED CREAM:
1 cup whipping cream
4 Tbsp icing sugar
THE REST:
3 Mangoes
Sugar as needed
Lime or lemon juice as needed

For the crepes, mixing bowl method: In a mixing bowl whisk together cornstarch and sugar to break up the lumps. Then whisk in flour and salt. In a spouted container like a glass liquid measuring cup, add the milk and microwave until lukewarm. (This is just to prevent the butter from hardening into little pieces when you add it, don't make it so hot that it will cook the eggs!)

Add eggs, vanilla, and yellow food colouring (optional) and beat well with a fork or a whisk to combine. Pour about a quarter of the milk mixture into the flour and whisk until smooth. Once smooth, pour in the remaining milk and whisk until well-combined. Strain the batter back into the spouted container, pushing any big lumps of flour through the sieve. If using right away, you can add the butter gradually while whisking the batter quickly. If you're going to refrigerate the batter, leave the butter out for now.

For the crepes, blender method: Microwave milk until lukewarm, (just to prevent the butter from hardening into little pieces when you add it, so don't make it so hot that it will cook the eggs!), then add milk to the blender. Add all remaining ingredients except butter into the blender and blend just for a few seconds on low until smooth. DON'T blend any longer than necessary or it'll become too foamy. Strain the batter into a spouted container such as a large liquid measuring cup. If using right away, you can add the butter gradually while whisking the batter quickly. If you're going to refrigerate the batter, leave the butter out for now.

PREP THE MANGO:
Peel mangoes and trim each cheek into a rectangle 2.5-3 inches long, then cut the rectangle into 3/4 inch thick batons. You may get 2-3 depending on size of mango. Save the trims for mango sauce.

FOR THE MANGO SAUCE:
Blend all the mango trims until smooth in a blender or food processor. Taste and add sugar and lime juice as needed. The amount will depend entirely on the flavour of the mango. If the mango is sweet, you'll likely need to add lime juice to add some tartness which will boost the fruitiness of the sauce. If the mango is already quite sour, lime juice may not be necessary, but you may need to add quite a bit of sugar. If your mango isn't very sweet or is a little bit bland, make your sauce stronger tasting (more sugar/lime) so that it can help compensate. This is your chance to help make it better!

COOKING THE CREPES:
If your batter is refrigerated, pull it out at least an hour in advance so it can come to room temp. If you don't have time for this, pour batter into a metal container and sit it in a hot water bath and stir frequently. A cold batter will cause butter to seize into chunks. Once batter is at about room temp, gradually pour in the melted butter while whisking quickly.

Heat a non stick 10-inch pan over low heat. Whisk the batter briefly to mix right before pouring - you want to do this before every pour - then pour into a 1/4 measuring cup so it's about 3/4 full (3 Tbsp equivalent). Pour batter into the pan and swirl to evenly spread the batter, and then let cook for a minute on low heat. Tip: There should be just a very gentle sizzle when you pour batter into pan-that's a sign of the perfect level of heat. If there is no sizzle, pan is too cool. If it's a loud sizzle, the pan is too hot. You know it's done when the top is dry and you start to see it puff up in several spots. There should be no colour on the bottom, but if there is a little bit, it is okay. Loosen the edge with a spatula and remove from pan onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter (you can stack the finished crepes). Let cool completely before using.

MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM:
Add cold whipping cream and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater or a whisk on high heat. Once it starts to thicken up and the beater starts leaving a trail, lower the speed down so you are less likely to overbeat it. Once you start to see clear beater trails, check the consistency frequently; you want the cream to be stiff enough to hold its shape completely when plopped onto the crepe. But be careful not to overbeat or it will turn into butter!

ASSEMBLY:
Lay down crepe, smooth side out, then put down a 3-inch strip of cream in the centre. Spoon a little mango sauce over the creme, put mango on top of the sauce, then add a little more sauce on top of mango. Top with a little more cream. You want the mango to be surrounded by cream and sauce, it may take you a couple of pieces before you figure out the right amount of stuff to put in, but watch the video for a visual guide. Wrap like a spring roll-fold the sides towards the centre then gently roll forward-and you can use a knife to trim off the end of the crepe if it's sticking out. You can serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help them firm up a bit. You can let them sit in the fridge for a few hours if needed, but too long and the crepe will not be as soft.

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HONG KONG STYLE MANGO PANCAKES

FOR THE PANCAKES:
240 ml milk, 1 cup
50 g all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup, see note 3
30 g corn starch or custard powder, 1/4 cup, see note 4
25 g icing sugar, 1/4 cup
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
300 ml whipping cream, 1 1/4 cups
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp icing sugar
2 large mango, peeled & cut into chunks

PREPARE THE BATTER:
Pour milk into a mixing bowl. Sift flour, corn starch (or custard powder) and icing sugar into the bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until well combined. Add lightly beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well. Through a sieve, pour the mixture into a bowl/measuring cup (ideally with a pouring spout).

COOK THE PANCAKES:
Heat up a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Pour a small amount of batter onto the pan then swirl quickly to form a very thin disk. When small air pockets appear under the pancake, remove the pancake and place it on a plate to cool (no need to cook the other side). Repeat the procedure until you finish the mixture (see note 5).

WHIP THE CREAM:
While waiting for the pancakes to cool, whip the cream, vanilla extract & icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

ASSEMBLE THE PANCAKES:
Lay one pancake on a flat surface (clear, smooth side facing down).

Spoon some whipped cream onto the middle of the pancake. Place one piece of mango on top.

Wrap the filling from four sides of the pancake to form a pillow-like shape. Place it on a serving plate with the folded side facing down.

Store & serve: You may serve the pancakes straight away, however it is recommended to refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before serving. This way the cream will be firmer thus the pancakes will look better when cut through.

NOTES:
1. Use other fruits as filling: you may choose other soft flesh fruit as the filling. Durian is a classic choice. Strawberry, kiwi fruit, banana, ripe peach and melon are common too.
2. Colour the pancakes: You can make the pancake in different colours to match the fruit.
3. Please note that measuring flour, starch (or custard powder) and icing sugar by cup is less accurate than by weight.
4. Using custard powder (Bird's Custard) instead of corn starch produces a yellow colour and chewier texture.
5. This batter of this recipe is for making 12 pancake wrappers (each measures about 15cm / 6 inches in diameter). Adjust the size according to the pan size that is available to you.

Makes 12 servings

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MANGO PANCAKES
YELLOW CREPES

3 eggs
1 cup milk
⅓ cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup caster sugar
a few drops of yellow food coloring

Put all the ingredients in a bowl in the order listed. Whisk vigorously until blended (about 30 seconds by machine standards). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat or blend 15 seconds longer. let the batter sit for an hour or longer so the starches can absorb. You can make the batter up to a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator, just bring it up to room temp before you cook it. It should be the consistency of buttermilk. If it's lumpy you can strain it. Spray a non stick skillet with a little cooking spray, or brush lightly with a neutral oil and get it hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and pour a little batter in (how much depends on the size of your skillet) and swirl batter evenly around the bottom- try to make this very thin! Return to heat and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes (I used the lowest heat, so it took a lot longer for me- but it meant that the crepes would be smooth!). The thin edges will get crispy and curl up, and the top will mostly set but stay shiny. Flip the crepe around with a spatula.) Cook the second side for about 30 seconds, then remove crepe and place it on a clean, dry and preferably light colored dish towel.

TO ASSEMBLE:
300mL cream
icing sugar, to taste
2 small mangoes, or one large one
Around 10 crepes, from the recipe above

In a large bowl, whisk the cream until slightly thickened then add icing sugar until it tastes sweet enough, and stiff peaks form. Chill while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Peel and chip mangoes into long, thin pieces.

Place one crepe on a plate (with the nice side down!) and put a heaped tablespoon of whipped cream into the centre. Place a couple of pieces of mango around the whipped cream, then wrap the crepe around it. Do this by folding one side over the cream, then folding both sides inwards, then rolling the whole thing into a cylinder shape. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour (the longer the better) before serving

Makes ~10 depending on thickness and size of pan

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MANGO PANCAKES

2 mangoes
80 g low-gluten flour
75 g white sugar
250 g milk
2 eggs (or 4 egg yolks ),
1 tablespoon (15ml) of edible oil (or melted butter)
300g of fresh cream (cr me)

Sift the low-gluten flour and add it to the milk. Stir until there are no particles. Add 35 grams of sugar to the eggs and stir evenly until the sugar melts. Add the stirred egg liquid to the flour and milk paste, then add the oil and stir evenly, and finally sift the batter for use. Heat a non-stick pan, turn to low heat, without oil, pour a spoonful of batter (the spoon for soup) into the pan, quickly stir it evenly, and turn it over when it is cooked. In this way, all the batter is made into thin pancakes, about 8 can be made.

Peel the mango, cut the pulp along the core, and cut into long strips. Add 40 grams of sugar to fresh cream and stir Whip the cream (the cream is solidified). Take a pancake and spread a layer of whipped cream on the center. Put on a piece of mango stick and spread a layer of cream. Finally, wrap the dough into a square.

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YUM CHA-STYLE MANGO PANCAKES

FOR THE PANCAKES:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornstarch or custard powder
1/4 cup icing sugar
10g butter (melted)
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
FOR THE FILLING:
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
2 to 3 mangoes (peeled and cut into chunks)

TO PREP THE BATTER:
Pour milk into a mixing bowl. Sift flour, cornstarch or custard powder, and icing sugar into the bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until well combined. Add melted butter and lightly beaten eggs into the mixture. Mix well. Through a sieve, pour the mixture into a bowl / measuring cup (ideally with pouring spout).

TO COOK THE PANCAKES:
Heat up a non-stick frying pan over low heat. Pour small amount of batter onto the pan then swirl quickly to form a very thin round layer. When small air pockets appear, remove the pancake and place on a plate to cool (you don't have to cook the other side). Repeat the steps until you finish the mixture.

TO WHIP THE CREAM:
While waiting for the pancakes to cool, whip up the cream and vanilla extract (and icing sugar) until stiff peaks form.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PANCAKES:
Lay one pancake on a flat surface (clear, smooth side facing down). Spoon some whipped cream onto the middle of the pancake. Place one piece of mango on top. Wrap the filling from four sides of the pancake to form a pillow-like shape. Place it on a plate with the folded side facing down. Repeat the steps. Place in fridge for at least 30 mins. Serve cold.

Serves 3-4 people

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MANGO PANCAKES

FOR THE CREPES:
2 eggs
8g melted butter
55g cake flour (can sub with 45g plain flour + 1tbsp corn starch)
25g powdered sugar
175g milk
a pinch of salt
FOR THE CREAM FILLING:
20-25g double cream per pancake
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
10% of the creams weight in castor sugar (I used 200g of cream + 20g sugar) you can omit the sugar if you want/if the mango is sweet enough

*Using a smaller frying pan (16cm radius) makes 10/11 pancakes Using a larger frying pan (20cm radius) makes 7 pancakes

+ 1-2 mangoes depending on how much mango you intend to put into each pancake, I made 8 using 1 mango

PREPARE THE CREPES:
Whisk together the melted butter and 2 eggs, then sieve in the flour, powdered sugar and pinch of salt. Starting from the edge, start whisking the wet and the dry together, incorporating the dry ingredients slowly. Add the milk in 3 additions, mixing in between each. Sieve the pancake mixture into a pourable jug Use a tissue to lightly grease a non stick frying pan and preheat to medium heat. Pour the pancake mix into the centre of the the frying pan, enough to cover all but 1-2 inches of the outer edge of the pan (the batter is very watery so it should be a pretty thin layer). Immediately start moving the pan in circular motions to evenly distribute the batter to the edges of the pan. Keep the motion in one direction. Once spread out, cover with a lid (if you don't have one don't worry it'll just take longer to cook) and let it cook until air pockets start rising. Remove from the pan and place on a plate to cool (the pancake should not have taken on any colour, it will be an even pale yellow colour and slightly translucent). Repeat for all of the batter. Separate each pancake with a small piece of tissue.

PREPARE THE CREAM FILLING:
Whip the double/heavy cream with the optional sugar and vanilla extract until medium peaks form. It should still be glossy and spreadable but able to hold its shape.

Cut the two halves of your mango and peel off the skin. If you want the shape to be neat you can slice of the rounded edges and top to make it into a rectangle. Slice it into 3 rectangular pieces. If you're not fussed about the shape of the pancakes, also use the edge pieces of the mango.

Take one pancake and place it glossy side down (there will be a glossy and a rough side, the rough side is the one that was in contact with the pan). Spread a 1-2cm layer of cream a little larger than your mango slice in the middle of the pancake. Place the mango onto it and cover with the same amount of cream, smoothing it out so it covers the mango. Fold one of the edges parallel to the longer side of the mango over, fold the opposite edge so it's wrapped up tightly. The pancake is pretty elastic so shouldn't break easily. Fold the two long edges left over in and turn it over so the folded edges are on the bottom. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing open and enjoying. If you freeze them they turn into these amazing creamy mango ice cream bars! But they will keep well in the fridge for at leas