What says ‘summer is on the way’ better than biting into the liquid sunshine of a ripe, fresh mango? Nothing, is the answer. And thus we rejoice at the news that Alphonso mango season is officially here. 

It’s true that the mango is joyous enough on its own. But if you want to take your mango-related contentment to the next level, we have a suggestion: use the fruit in a delicious dessert. 

We’ve got you covered with three recipes for when you want to (man)go all out on the tastiness. 

Jo Pratt says: “No matter how full you might be at the end of a meal, no one will be able to turn down a slice of this fruity dessert. The pillowy marshmallow meringue is balanced perfectly with the tangy tropical fruits and mellow coconut liqueur.

“If you are planning on making this a few hours ahead of serving, then I suggest you firmly wrap the roulade in some baking parchment and chill in the fridge, so it retains its shape.”

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the meringue: 

• 4 egg whites
• 175g/6 oz/scant 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp lime juice
• finely grated zest of 1 lime
• icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

For the filling: 

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut liqueur
• juice of ½ lime
• 3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 200ml/7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup double (heavy) cream
• 3 ripe passion fruit

To serve:

• icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
• handful toasted coconut flakes
• finely grated zest of ½ lime

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Line a 35 x 25cm x 2cm/14 x 10 x ¾ inch rectangular tin with baking parchment.

Line a wire rack with baking parchment and dust with icing sugar.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Add half of the sugar and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes. Mix the cornflour into the remaining sugar and add to the egg whites with the lime juice and zest. Continue to whisk until you have a firm glossy meringue that holds in stiff peaks.

Spread the meringue over the prepared baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned and just firm to the touch, but not at all solid. The meringue will have puffed up quite a lot but don’t worry, it will flatten when cooling. Remove from the oven and immediately turn it out onto the prepared wire rack. Peel away the parchment on the top, and leave the meringue to completely cool.

Put the mango, coconut liqueur, lime juice and sugar in a food processor and blitz to a purée. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks, then fold through the mango purée and passion fruit pulp.

Spread the filling onto the meringue, leaving a 2cm/¾ inch border. Starting at one long edge of the meringue, gently roll the roulade away from you into a log shape, ending with the seam underneath. Don’t worry if the meringue cracks, this all adds character!

Transfer to a serving plate, dust with more icing sugar, scatter over toasted coconut flakes and a grating of lime zest.

To make dairy-free: Coconut cream makes a great alternative. Put 2 x 400g/14 oz tins of coconut milk in the fridge and leave overnight. When ready, carefully scoop the solid coconut cream from the top of the cans into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric whisk, whisk the coconut cream until it’s light and airy. Whisk in 2 tablespoons icing (confectioners’) sugar and 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch). Spread over the meringue roulade and top with the fruit. The coconut cream texture isn’t as stable as a dairy cream, so best to make it and assemble just before serving.

From The Flexible Baker by Jo Pratt (£20, White Lion Publishing), out now

Jackie Kearney says: “This is a very simple recipe for a delicious plant-based ice cream. It has a toasty depth of creamy flavour, complemented by the tangy mango chunks.”

Ingredients

• 400ml can coconut milk (minimum 80% coconut)
• 40g coconut sugar
• ½ vanilla pod, seeds removed, or use 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut, lightly toasted, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 425g can mango slices, in juice (not syrup), cut into 1.5cm/½-in. cubes 

Method

To make the ice cream, place the coconut milk in a small pan and add the sugar and vanilla. If using a pod, add the scraped pod, too. Place over low heat and gently warm until all the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod. Add the toasted coconut and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a wide tub with a lid and place in the freezer for 40 minutes. Remove and, using a fork, mix well ensuring you scrape any icy bits from the edges. Add the mango pieces and mix well. Return the ice cream to the freezer for another 30 minutes, then repeat the mixing process and freeze again until ready to serve.

Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. Top with some extra toasted coconut flakes, if you like.

From Healthy Vegan Street Food by Jackie Kearney (£20, Ryland Peters & Small), out now

Jo Pratt says: “This light and fluffy cake is super easy to make. Its beauty is in its simple flavour, which can be tricked up with the addition of a teaspoon or two of spices and herbs, such as ground cinnamon, wattleseeds, thyme or rosemary. Thinly slice whatever fruit you have to hand to make this seasonal. Instead of almond meal, you could use the same amount of a mix of rolled oats and desiccated coconut for the topping.”

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 1 cup (250g) natural yoghurt 
• Zest of 2 lemons, 2 limes or 2 oranges
• 1–2 teaspoons spices or herbs (optional)
• 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the topping:

• 1 mango, sliced into thin wedges
• ⅓ cup (60g) brown sugar 
• 40g (1½oz) almond meal

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas mark 3) and line or grease a 23 cm (9 inch) springform cake tin with baking paper or oil.

Using a hand whisk, briefly mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and a little fluffy, then slowly whisk in the vegetable oil, followed by the yoghurt, citrus zest and spices or herbs, if using.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then add this mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared cake tin.

To make the topping, toss together the mango slices, brown sugar and almond meal in a small bowl, then arrange on top of the cake.

Bake for 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then use a knife to slide around the edge of the cake and remove it from the tin.

Any left-over cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

From The Flexible Baker by Jo Pratt( £20 White Lion Publishing), out now

Images: Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small; Cath Muscat; Malou Burger