Mastiha (Mastic Gum) Yoghurt Dessert

I based this dessert, on a cream we used to make in Cyprus called Paris on Ice, which was flavoured with mastic resin. For those of you who are not familiar with the mastic resin, it is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Pistacio family growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, which is cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios. The word mastic derives either from a Phoenician word or from the Greek verb mastichein («to gnash the teeth», origin of the English word masticate) or massein(«to chew»).

For reasons that are not entirely understood, only the trees in the southern part of the island of Chios produce the distinctively flavoured resin. The island’s mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of villages, collectively known as the ‘Mastichochoria’, which are also located in the southern part of Chios.

Within the European Union, Mastic spice production in Chios is granted protected designation of origin (PDO) and a protected geographical indication (PGI) name.

(Source:   Wikipedia).

Back to the recipe. I know nothing about this recipe, or why it was named Paris on Ice, I presume the word ice was used because it is refrigerated and white. I tried to find the recipe but unfortunately I had no luck in a google search. I decided to recreate it on what I remembered and half way through, although this cream brought back nice memories as my mum used to make it, it was just an ordinary cream and when it set she used to make a strawberry or cherry jelly and put it on top until the jelly would set as well. We used to love this dessert but I wanted to make my own recipe so I made the addition of whipped cream, mixed with yoghurt and whipped the cream twice, to give it the airy feeling of mousse.

Mastiha (Mastic Gum) Yoghurt Dessert, recipe by Ivy

Ingredients:

2 glasses of water (see conversions)
10 gelatin sheets
1 can 410 gr evaporated milk
1/2 glass of blanched almonds, finely chopped
8 – 10 mastic gums pounded with ½ teaspoon sugar
1 glass of sugar
1 whipped cream (35% – 250 ml)
2 -3 spoonfuls of icing sugar
A few drops of Vanilla essence
250 grams strained Greek yoghurt

Directions:

Dissolve gelatine sheets with half the water and when soft boil the remaining and add until it has dissolved. Place in a pot together with the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and mix in the milk and let it cool down and place in the refrigerator until it sets. Whisk and set aside in the refrigerator.

Meantime blanch the almonds and cut them in the food processor. Pound the mastic resins and mix with the almonds.

Prepare the whipping cream. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence and when it is ready whip in the yoghurt and refrigerate.

Combine both creams, add the almonds and with the hand mixer whisk until fluffy and creamy and place in a square or rectangular Tupperware or Pyrex and refrigerate again until it sets.

Serve with your favourite spoon sweet on top.

You may also serve it with:

Strawberry sauce
Kiwi sauce
Caramelized apricots
Sour Cherries spoon sweet
Cherries spoon sweet.

Tags: Chios, Creams, gelatin, συνταγές με μαστίχα, μαστίχα Χίου, mastic recipes, mastic resin, mastiha