Banana cake was one of the very first things I ever attempted to bake. I still remember clearly the day. It was sometime in the mid-90s, when my hair was much longer and I still had delusions dreams of being some kind of Melissa Etheridge rock musician. I was at our neighbor’s condo, watching our friend make banana cake without a recipe, simply mixing ingredients together until the consistency looked right to him. I was so amazed you’d think I was watching someone split an atom.

As much as I enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, I never imagined baking would ever figure in my repertoire. I stayed clear of it because I thought it required a level of precision I just wasn’t capable of, and a few early disasters convinced me I was better off leaving it to the experts. Truth be told, I was more comfortable assisting with circumcision. (You’ll be glad to know that, unlike baking, there were no early disasters in my brief medical career.)

 
Biko is my all-time favorite Filipino dessert or merienda (snack) item. It uses only 4 ingredients—which, in a pinch, can even be cut down to 3—and is so simple to make and requires no special tools or pans, which makes it an easy endeavor for someone who doesn’t yet have a properly-equipped kitchen.

 
Last week, I wanted to make something sweet for my son Tim. His favorite: cookies. Then I looked at my favorite recipe and realized that I needed to get every single item in the ingredient list. Chocolate chips. Vanilla. Flour. Butter. Sugar. Eggs. Nuts. A whisk. A mixing bowl. Cookie sheets. Maybe a cookie scoop too, since there is this strange pain in the fingers of my right hand that could use the help.

 
It overwhelmed me. I wasn’t even sure I’d have enough cupboard space to keep all these ingredients. So I just bought a tub of cookie dough. In an attempt to make it kinda special, I pressed pieces of Toblerone chocolate in the cookies. (Yes, I have no butter or sugar, but I have Toblerone chocolate.)

Alternate title: Well, Now I’m Just Pushing It, Aren’t I?

 
Yesterday, I posted my Gin and Tonic Sorbet recipe, enticing anyone who would listen to make it, enjoy it, then inflict it on all your guests. That recipe called for a lime-infused simple syrup, and I only ended up using half of the batch that I made. Which got the wheels turning in my head, wondering what else I can make with it.

 
I also happened to have a green mango waiting to be used. I had been planning to make a Philippine-style green mango shake (like a slushie), which I absolutely love. Maybe it was the gin my head, or perhaps it was just homesickness, but before I knew it, my green mango shake had somehow morphed into an idea for green mango margarita sorbet.

 
 
Let me start off by saying that I don’t really get along that well with tequila. Sure, we’ve been on the dance floor once or twice before, but mostly, it’s just because I’m trying to be polite. And only for quick jigs; I can’t slow dance with tequila without the inevitable headache, after which I just want to go to bed and sleep it off.

 
Then I miss out on all the fun because I’m fast asleep by 7:36 p.m..

 
But I do love the taste of margaritas. It’s the sharp tartness of the lime, the mellow semi-sweetness of the triple sec, and the interesting contrast with the salt that really speaks to me. And … wait. You know what I love about green mango shakes? The sharp tartness of the green mango, the mellow semi-sweetness of the sugar, and the interesting contrast with the salt.

 
Hmmm …

 
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Green Mango Margarita Sorbet

1/2 cup sugar
1 large or 2 medium limes, zested and juiced
1 large green mango, peeled and roughly sliced
1/4 cup triple sec
1/4 cup tequila
lime wedge and rimming salt, to serve

In a saucepan, make simple syrup by heating 1/2 cup water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and add lime zest and juice. Let cool.

Put green mango slices and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add simple syrup, triple sec, and tequila. Blend again until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. Cool in the refrigerator, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store in a freezer-proof container in the freezer to allow it to harden some more.

Run a lime wedge around the rim of a shot glass and salt the rim. Scoop the sorbet into the shot glass and serve.

 
 
This margarita sorbet probably isn’t as “unique” as the gin and tonic sorbet, since margaritas are already sometimes served frozen and slushy. But what I love about this is the addition of the green mango, which is in itself already has both sour and sweet flavors. You can also rim the glass with jalapeno salt or any other kind of spicy salt for an interesting kick.

 
You can certainly use your favorite fruit as a substitute for the green mango. I think kiwi, granny smith apples, star fruit (preferably not too ripe), raspberries, or even fresh grapefruit juice (juiced, strain out the pulp) would work wonderfully. If I were in the Philippines, I’d be trying mangosteen, kamias (a very tart relative of the star fruit), or pomelo.

 
Actually, if I were in the Philippines where summer can be painfully hot, I’d probably be using much larger glasses too.

 
I’d also probably be sleeping a lot. Because tequila’s potency is geography-independent.

 
Trust me. I know these things.