Sonia Tastes Hawaii: The 3rd Annual Big Island Mango Festival

The center photo above is of the painting by Big Island artist Francene Hart from which was used as this year's Mango Fest poster

Once again, the garden grounds of the Keauhou Outrigger Resort Hotel was the home for this year's 3rd Annual Mango Festival presented by the Hawaii Healing Garden and the Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens.

Our island's culture, culinary arts, creative arts & crafts and non-stop music, dancing and entertainment served as a festive backdrop for the all-day celebration of all things mango.

Displays, workshops and various demonstrations were also held throughout the day... Workshops on planting, growing, grafting of mango trees, the best mango varieties for Hawai'i; the importance of bees; healing plants of Hawaii; tier gardening and composting and once again, an impressive and delicious presentation by Honolulu pastry chef Hector Wong.

At last years' 2nd Annual Mango Fest, Hector wowed us with his Heavenly Rose Mango Cake...This year, it was a made-in-heaven pairing of mangoes, chocolate, rum and coffee....all Hawaii grown and produced!

While Hector demonstrated how to make his mango truffle cake, chef and friend Patti Kimball was demonstrating how to peel and cut mangoes and how to shape the mango slices into a rose.

Hector Wong's Mango Truffle Cake

Hector says "Ganache is my ultimate chocolate filling. I love ganache so much that I can eat it by itself! In fact, ganache is pure dark chocolate of the highest quality with half cream" ... "Mango Truffle Cake is easy to make and the composition is forgiving. Use your favorite recipe for ganache, but for the smoothest, most room temperature stable, and shapeable ganache: use my recipe!"

"My recipes are measured in grams because it is easier and faster. You don't need to know what a gram is, just think of it as a number that goes up one by one, without using fractions! Kitchen scales are widely available, inexpensive, and easy to use"

The highlighted linked companies below sponsored Hector's trip to the Mango Fest. Mahalo for helping bring Hector to the Big Island. He did you credit!

Equipment recommended:

An accurate kitchen scale

A digital probe thermometer

An 8 inch 6 cup capacity round dome bowl

Stretch-Tite plastic wrap (because it sticks and molds well to any surface)

Espresso maker - stovetop simple unit works well

For the ganache:

400 gr dark chocolate, preferably 60% cacao from Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory

400 gr cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably from Hawaiian Vanilla Company

1 Tablespoon dark rum, preferably Koloa Rum from Kauai

A shot of espresso coffee, preferably made from Coffees of Hawaii

1- Preheat oven to 110-115 o F.

2- Place large glass bowl on scale. Weigh chocolate. Place in oven til chocolate has reached 110-115 o F (be accurate), about 2 hours, uncovered.

3- Place cooking pot on scale. Weigh cream. Heat til bubbles appear. Cool at room temperature til 110-115 o F (be accurate).

4- Stir til smooth: chocolate, cream, vanilla, rum, and if using, espresso. Place at room temperature overnight, undisturbed, uncovered till cool, for about 1 hour, then cover.

For the filling:

150 gr (about 18 each) ladyfingers for tiramisu, preferably Savoiardi imported from Italy, or soft ladyfingers

300 gr mango nectar or combination of mango puree and juice (about 5 ripe mangoes) - If soft ladyfingers are used, use half the amount of mango nectar

1 Tablespoon dark Koloa Rum from Kauai

5- With a blender or food processor, puree mangoes. strain and keep the liquid. Weigh amount needed and stir in 1 tablespoon of rum.

6- In a shallow tray or food storage container, soak the lady fingers with the mango nectar mix. Rest overnight, covered, refrigerated.

For the Mocha Glaze:

Microwave some leftover ganache

Add a shot of espresso - see above

Blend them together in a small piping bag

Shaping the truffle cake:

7- Chill ganache till frosting consistency (70 oF). Coat the 8 inch - 6 cup capacity plastic lined bowl with 3/4 of the ganache. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight, covered in plastic wrap, to set.

8- Drain off excess mango nectar from the ladyfingers; fill the ganache lined bowl with soaked ladyfingers. Press generously to fill cavity.

9- Top off with remaining ganache. Add a cardboard cake round and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

10- Invert the truffle dome on a serving plate, peel off the plastic wrap. Score the surface with a fork.

11- Microwave the reminder ganache till creamy consistency, stir in the espresso. Drizzle on the cake and serving plate.

12- Decorate with fresh mango slices forming a rose on top.

From Hector: "My mentor is Rose Levy Beranbaum. for the full science and inspiration: buy, borrow, or steal one of her books"

Below photo: credit to Hector Wong

Click on the following link to visit Hector's My Yellow Kitchen