dn's Mango Almond Chipper’s

Last summer I bought some dried mangoes but wasn’t sure what I would do with them. I did taste them and decided that I would probably bake or cook something with them. I looked around the internet for ideas but most of the recipes didn’t appeal to me, so I decided to wait for inspiration. I got quite busy over the next few months and forgot all about them until I came across them in my cupboard recently. Of course by then, they were hard as rocks! But not to fear! When I did decide what to do with them, I would just soak them in water to rehydrate them to the similar consistency of a raisin.

So, on a recent bitterly cold winter morning, I finally decided to use the dried mangoes and create a new cookie recipe! I chopped the mangoes and rehydrated them. I roasted some chopped almonds and measured out the rest of the ingredients. The batter was mixed up, measured out onto baking sheets and baked. With this combination of flavours, I was pretty sure I had a tasty treat on the way, but would have to wait for the first pan to finish baking before I’d know for sure. They spread out a bit more than I thought they would so I had to watch them carefully to prevent burning.

Waiting for the timer to go off and then for the cookies to cool enough to sample seemed like an eternity! Then came that moment of truth. I broke one in half. They were a bit crispy around the edges but moist and soft in the center. I took the first bite – and OH MY! These turned out even better than I imagined!

dn's Mango Almond Chipper’s

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup block margarine, softened to room temperature
1 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups mini chocolate chips (dark or bittersweet)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped dried mango

Chop the mango into small pieces (about the size of a pea). Place the fruit in a single layer in a shallow container and cover with very warm water (I used hot tap water) and let sit for about 20-30 minutes. Drain well and spread the mango out on a paper towel to air dry while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Chop the almonds and spread evenly on a large microwave safe dish (I used a large dinner plate). Microwave on high heat for about 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes stirring every minute until golden brown and very aromatic. Place the dish on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before adding to cookie batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a bowl with an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream margarine on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture all at once, and beat on low speed until combined. Add chocolate, almonds and mangoes. Again, beat until well combined.

Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfulls onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden – about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Enjoy!

dn