Mango Paletas

One of the perks of living in Dallas has got to be the neighborhood paleta man. Who else can rescue a blistering hot summer day for only 75 cents? My folks' east Dallas area has several and a tamale lady that makes weekly rounds, yelling TAA-MAA-LES!! How great is that?!

But back to the paletas, as a kid I never knew what to get, there's so many flavors! I think I pretty much stuck to strawberry back then, but now mango is my favorite. I love the fruity, sweet taste, the rich cream and chunks of mango throughout. Its not a flavor you'll find at the grocery store. Well, unless you have a Michocana or Supermercado Monterrey close by. Even then you will pay about $1 per bar, but what if you want to stock up or share with friends and family? Well then you resort to crazy things like making purees, buying lots of cream and investing in popsicle molds. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, more paleta flavors will follow, but for now rich, creamy mango hits the spot.

Mango Paletas
(printable recipe)

2 c heavy cream
1 c whole milk
2 c fresh mango puree*
1 c sugar
1 mango chopped fine

Combine all except for chopped mango and taste for sweetness. Freeze for 2 hours stirring every half hour to break up ice crystals. It should start to thicken and resemble melted ice cream at this point, stir in the mango pieces and pour into popsicle molds. You may also continue freezing and stirring until the ice cream is set, about 4 hours.

*2 c mango puree will require 4-6 ripe mangos, depending on size. You can also use a mango nectar, but reduce the sugar as most nectars are already sweetened.

If you have any of the ice cream base leftover and can resist eating it all with a spoon, it can be used in a multitude of desserts. I'm going to try making some ice cream shakes, maybe a freezer pie, and when my birthday rolls around (in just a few weeks!) I may try to use it as a cake filling.