Coconut Whipped Cream

This is my favorite time of year to eat fruit. All the berries and stone fruit are arriving in stores and markets, not to mention the mangos! I really have to restrain myself around the mangos. And the love for them is seemingly genetic because my kids can’t get enough of them either. My favorite variety is the Atatulfo. They are slightly thinner and turn a bright orangey yellow when ripe. I know Alfonsos are supposed to be the top of the mango game but when you have a perfectly ripe and sweet Atatulfo, it will give an Anflonso a run for its money. I have been pleasantly surprised to find the Atatulfo variety more widely available this year. In past year, I’ve gotten my stash at my local Asian or Indian market but this year they are at my local Trader Joe’s and also at Costco!! I am just eating my way through our last haul from Costco and they are ridiculously good. Costco packages the fruit in plastic clamshells which is terrible for the environment but wonderful for the fruit because none of it is bruised or beat up.

With the abundance of delicious fruit available, dessert is the easiest course to plan this time of year. But recently we were having company and I wanted to elevate my ripe mango with a little something. I had read about making coconut whipped cream in Nom Nom Paleo’s terrific cookbook but had never tried it myself. It couldn’t be simpler to make – you take a can of coconut cream (or you can use the cream off a can of regular coconut milk) refrigerate it for a few hours. Then beat it with some powdered sugar and other flavorings until it has a pillowy, whipped consistency. For flavorings, you can really go nuts. I like to use a dash of cinnamon and touch of vanilla but cardamom would be nice too. A splash of run would be lovely or some ground ginger. The result was exactly what I wanted- something cool and creamy on top of my sweet juicy mango. The cream disappeared in minutes. Our youngest guest (age 2) was licking his bowl and asked for seconds. That kid will always be welcome at my table. No faster way to my heart than to love my food and let me know.