Banh Trang Xoai (Nha Trang Mango Fruit Leather), Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Wash 2kg ripe cat or tuong mangoes and drain them. Peel, cut off the flesh and blend it completely smooth. Without a blender, mash the flesh and push it through a sieve.
2. Put the mango puree in a nonstick pan with 90g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Cook over low heat, stirring steadily so it does not catch on the base.
3. Cook until the mixture is thick, deep gold and more translucent, then turn off the heat.
4. Lay a sheet of thin plastic or parchment on a tray, spoon on the mango mixture and spread it into a thin layer about 1 to 2mm deep.
5. Dry in the sun for 2 to 3 days, or in the oven at 80 to 100 degrees C for 2 to 3 hours, until the surface is dry and no longer tacky to the touch.

Tips

• Keep the flame at its lowest while cooking the mango, because a scorched base turns the sheet bitter.
• The sheet has to dry all the way through, since any moisture left behind leads to mold.
• Soft, fragrant ripe mangoes work best, while underripe fruit makes the sheet sharply sour and less pliable.
• Spread the layer evenly at about 1 to 2mm, since thick patches dry slowly and mold first.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so add it at the start and stir well through the first 5 minutes of cooking.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend does not caramelize, so the deep gold color comes from the mango itself cooking down. Raising the heat to force it does not work.