Experimenting with mango

I bought some dried mango a few a weeks ago, intending to experiment with the Apricot & Walnut balls recipe. I only just got around to it this afternoon. I've never eaten dried mango before - it's delicous! I had to force myself to stop picking pieces out of the packet so I'd have enough to cook with. 1000 Vegan Recipes suggests a mango & cashew combination, but I wanted to try mango & hazelnut. As it turned out, I didn't have enough hazelnuts or cashews so I decided to try a few different combinations.

Left - Almond & Mango; Middle - Hazelnut & Mango; Right - Cashew & Mango.

The recipe also called for 1/3 cup of icing sugar, but I decided to substitute this with some agave syrup and a handful of dates. My favourite is definitely the almond & mango - the flavours balance really well. The cashew & mango is a bit bland while the hazelnut and mango don't go together as well as I'd hoped.

Mango balls

• 1 cup dried mango, soaked in boiling water for 10mins, then drained
  
• 2 cups nuts (I used 1/2 cup hazelnuts, 1/2 cup almonds & 1 cup cashews), toasted separately
  
• 4 tsp agave syrup
  
• 3/4 cup pitted dates, soaked in boiling water for 10mins, then drained
  
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut

Process the mango with the different nuts separately. Add 1-2 tsp of agave syrup to each batch along with a handful of dates. Process until the nuts are finely ground & the mix forms a ball. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls, toss in coconut and refrigerate 30mins until set.