Why it works: Lime and mango match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 506 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓
Lime Mango Mousse in Chocolate Cups
Ingredients
Directions
Make the chocolate cups
Melt 6 oz. white or bittersweet chocolate.
Lightly coat the inside of 8 foil-lined baking cups with chocolate using a small spoon.
Freeze for 10 minutes.
Recoat any thin spots and freeze 1 hour.
Make the mousse and fill
Beat cream cheese, mango, powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime rind until smooth.
Fold in prepared whipped cream.
Spoon mixture into chocolate cups and refrigerate.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Mango | 1 cup diced (165g) | 99 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Lime + mangotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together506 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Chocolate + creamtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,466 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Chocolate + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,404 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Cream + cream cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,087 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-decalactone (peach, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cream cheese
- Adds richness and a thick, creamy body to the mousse.
- Prepared whipped cream
- Folded in to lighten the mixture and give the mousse an airy texture.
- Chocolate
- Forms the firm, edible shell that holds the mousse.
- Powdered sugar
- Dissolves easily into the mixture, adding sweetness to balance the lime.
- Mango
- Contributes fruity flavour and moisture to the mousse.
The step that matters
Recoat any thin spots and freeze 1 hour. Chocolate shells that are thin in places can crack or leak when filled. Freezing firms the chocolate so it releases cleanly from the foil and holds the mousse.
Swap the lime
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chocolate, cream, sugar, mango, cream cheese):
- Vanillafits better
- Coconutfits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Limethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chocolate, cream, sugar, mango, cream cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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