Lest you think Mother’s Day lunch only featured Risotto with Baked Eggs, Bacon and Asparagus, there was dessert too!

I wanted something somewhat light, fruity and refreshing with lunch since the risotto was rich. I was really pleased with the results. I simply followed Ina Garten’s recipe for the Ultimate Ginger Cookies and paired it up with a to-die-for mango ice cream. To be totally honest, I went into this recipe wanting to make peach ice cream.The problem? There was not one peach in the city of Portland to be found. You know what I did find? Champagne mangoes (also know as Ataulfo or Yellow mangoes) and lots of them. I personally believe this variety is a million times better than the ordinary kind. They’re super sweet, melt in your mouth and do faintly taste like champagne (how could you go wrong?).

The mango substitution wound up being a winner. The combination of the ginger and spices in the cookie with the creamy mango ice cream was almost reminiscent of some delicious Indian dish, like a mango lassi paired up with a spiced cake. It was yummy and I’ll totally make this again. The best part? The Moms liked it – yay!

Mango Ice Cream with Ginger Cookies

For the cookies I followed Ina Garten’s Ultimate Ginger Cookie recipe to the letter. I’m not going to bother pasting it here because that seems silly. Click here to see it.

For the mango ice cream, based on David Lebovitz’s Peach Ice Cream in Perfect Scoop

Ingredients
3 peeled and pitted champagne mangoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup half and half (his recipe called for heavy cream – but this worked perfectly)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.) Make sure your ice cream maker’s drum is frozen. I just keep mine stored in the freezer.
2.) Cook the mango chunks in a small pot with the water for about 10 minutes until tender and fragrant. Stir in the sugar and allow to cool to room temperature.
3.) Purée the mango and liquid in a blenderwith the sour cream, half and half, and vanilla until totally smooth. His recipe called for leaving chunks, but I wanted it to be smooth.
4.) Completely chill the mixture in the refrigerator. Once it is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. I use a Cuisinart and it took about 20 minutes to become nice and thick. Once it is done churning, store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer.
5.) When you’re ready to serve, take the ice cream out of the freezer for about 5 minutes to soften up a bit. Spoon a few scoops into pretty bowls and top with a cookie.