Ingredients
Mucua base
- 150 gmucua (baobab fruit) powder, from about 3 whole pods
- 400 mlwarm water
- 1 pinchof fine salt
Ice cream
- 400 mlsweetened condensed milk
- 400 mldouble cream, well chilled
- 1 tspvanilla extract, optional
- 60–100 gcaster sugar, to taste
To serve
- 2 tbspmucua powder, for dusting
- 6chilled glasses or bowls
Directions
- If you are starting from whole pods, crack the hard shell with a hammer, pull out the chalky white segments and rub them between your palms to free the powder from the black seeds and red fibre.
- Soak the powder in the warm water with the salt for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it slackens into a thick, tart pulp the texture of yoghurt.
- Press the pulp firmly through a sieve, working the solids against the mesh, and discard the seeds and fibre. You want about 400 ml of smooth puree.
- Whisk the condensed milk into the mucua puree with the vanilla, and taste. Baobab is sharply acidic, so add sugar in stages until the sourness is bright rather than puckering; the mixture should taste slightly too sweet, since freezing mutes sweetness.
- Whip the cold cream to soft peaks that just flop over, no further, or the ice cream will be buttery.
- Fold the cream into the mucua mixture in three additions, keeping as much air in as you can.
- Pour into a shallow metal container, cover the surface with paper or film and freeze 6 hours, or churn in an ice-cream machine for 25 minutes and freeze 2 hours to firm.
- If freezing by hand without churning, beat the mixture with a fork after the first 90 minutes and again an hour later, to break up the crystals.
- Move it to the fridge 10 minutes before serving, scoop into chilled glasses and dust with a little raw mucua powder for the sour hit on top.
Technique
- Mucua is the fruit of the baobab, the imbondeiro that stands over half the Angolan landscape. The pulp is naturally dry and powdery inside the pod, which is why it keeps for months and why it is soaked rather than juiced.
- That acidity, high in vitamin C and tartaric acid, is what makes the ice cream work; balance it with sugar but do not try to hide it, or you end up with plain vanilla.
- Acid can make dairy grainy. Add the condensed milk to the puree rather than the other way round, and keep everything cold, so nothing curdles.
Substitutions
- Baobab powder sold as a health supplement is exactly the same thing and needs the same soak; use 120 g, as it is usually finer and more concentrated.
- For a dairy-free version, use 400 ml of coconut cream whipped cold in place of the double cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Variations
- Sumo de mucua, the same soaked pulp let down with water and sugar into a drink.
- Churned as a sorbet with only water and sugar, sharp and pale.
- Layered in a glass with cocada amarela for a Luanda restaurant dessert.
History
Ice cream from the powdery fruit of the baobab, tart and citrus-like; múcua is gathered wild in Angola’s dry interior.
Frequently asked questions
What is Gelado de múcua?
Gelado de múcua is a dessert from Angola: creamy ice cream made from baobab fruit. Ice cream from the powdery fruit of the baobab, tart and citrus-like; múcua is gathered wild in Angola’s dry interior.
How long does Gelado de múcua take to make?
Gelado de múcua takes 25 min of preparation and 6 hr freezing of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings, about 900 ml. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Gelado de múcua?
Yes, within limits. Baobab powder sold as a health supplement is exactly the same thing and needs the same soak; use 120 g, as it is usually finer and more concentrated. For a dairy-free version, use 400 ml of coconut cream whipped cold in place of the double cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
What is the most important thing to get right in Gelado de múcua?
Whisk the condensed milk into the mucua puree with the vanilla, and taste. Baobab is sharply acidic, so add sugar in stages until the sourness is bright rather than puckering; the mixture should taste slightly too sweet, since freezing mutes sweetness.
