Raw Mango Paradise Bars

Just when I thought my week in the kitchen couldn’t get much worse, I broke it. Broke the unbreakable.

The indestructible blender stopped working. My Vitamix became silent.

Thank goodness they have a 7-year warranty. We’ll see how the repair process goes.

Pray tell, what the heck was I doing that broke my blender?

A Valentine’s Day dessert for Rob.

Innocent mangoes in paradise.

I was whipping up Mango Paradise Bars from Radiance 4 Life. I originally planned on making Tess’ Raspberry Star Bars, in the shape of hearts, pink for the cheesy day, but I didn’t have enough strawberries. Switching to mango bars was probably more in keeping with Rob’s tastes, so it all worked out ok.

After an overnight soak for the cashews, I decided to mix everything else together in my food processor. Since I wasn’t sure I could fit everything into my food processor, I transferred it to my Vitamix. Everything was going well….. the cashews and juice were a creamy pulp. I added everything else – agave,  melted coconut butter and the frozen mango. My blender was pretty full, so I turned down the speed, and used the plastic stick to help mix in the mango. It was mostly blended, but then it suddenly stopped working. I checked the plug. I checked the socket. The on/off was not working. Gah. Back into the food processor (two batches) for the final whipping.

I layered it into a large tupperware container and set it to freeze while I went to work. While they still needed to be frozen, I already knew the recipe had turned as I did a very thorough cleaning job (aka licking both blenders clean!).

After work, it had hardened into a delightful creamy bar. Basically a rich but still light-tasting cashew cheesecake, sans nut crust. For best results, let it thaw just slightly before devouring.

And you know what, it was better than the vegan Mango Cheesecake with a Raspberry Coulis from Prime.

Maybe my lackluster cooking streak has taken a turn for the better? If anything can turn your cooking into a positive experience, it is a Tess recipe!

(And thank you so much for all the encouragement, guys! It really means a lot to me!)

This is being submitted to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Fragovila and to this week’s Weekend Wellness.

Raw Mango Paradise Bars

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I didn’t have enough juice from 2 lemons, so I supplemented with extra lime and orange juice)
3 cups ripe mango flesh (I used frozen)
2/3 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Drain and rinse cashews. In a food processor or blender, combine cashews with lime and lemon juices and blend until as smooth as possible.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth.

3. Pour into a large dish around 9×14″ (I used a large tupperware container). Spread out evenly and cover. Place into the freezer for several hours until hardened.

4. Cut into 20 squares (or other fun shapes!) and serve icy cold, right out of the freezer, or allow to thaw for 5-10 minutes first. If you let it thaw too much it will turn back into a creamy mess. 😉

Makes 20 servings.