A view of the beautiful Bay Front Lawn at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa...setting for the 6th Annual Big Island Mango Festival held this past Sunday, June 29th. The tents stretched off to the left taking over the entire area. The weather cooperated, offering us a glorious sunny and breezy day.
One of the popular events during the festivals is the Cooking Contest (*) bringing creative cooks to compete for prizes. The Contest Categories this year were: Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts.
They were won by two very talented and creative cooks:
Renn Giblin on left was the winner of both the Entrée and the Dessert Categories. Brenda Cloutier on right was the winner of the Appetizers, which also won her the Best of Show prize for earning the most points for all entries.
Prizes were donated by Kealakekua Ranch Center & ChoiceMart in Captain Cook. Each First Prize winner received a $25 card for ChoiceMart and the Best of Show won the beautiful potted orchid. Check the previous blog posts for the Appetizer and the Entrée winning recipes.
First Place Winner - Dessert
Renn Giblin - Ohana Farms Orchards - Captain Cook, HI
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Mango-Ginger Cobbler with Mango Ice Cream & Caramelized Ginger Bits
8 cups mango, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, cold
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup ginger, crystallized, finely chopped
Preheat ove to 375 F. Prepare a 13”x9” glass baking dish with cooking spray. Individual ramekins may be used for single servings.
In a large saucepan, mix the mangoes, cornstarch, 3/4 cup sugar and ground ginger. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened. Carefully pour the fruit mixture into the prepared dish or ramekins.
For the topping:
Mix the flour, remaining sugars, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the yogurt and crystallized ginger, stirring just until a soft dough forms.
Drop the dough by heaping 1/4 cup scoops on top of the hot fruit to cover it.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbly around the edges.
Best served warm.
Serving tip: Serve with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of finely chopped crystallized ginger!