Inspired by Cynthia's Winter Solstice Chocolate Moose, this delicacy has many variations but one thing in common: Avocados. Yup. I didn't believe it until i tried it. It's smooth, silky, chocolate yumminess without a clue to the main ingredient. Not that I don't love avocados, BOY, do I?! However, this is worth sacrificing the guacamoli or purchasing extra. They are in abundance this time of year. You can add-on Organic Avo's to your Fresh-Connect home delivery for $1.50 each. worth it! They are twice that in the store.
Turn's out, it's fairly common in raw food circles to whip up a batch of coaco-enhanced avo-meat. Check the dessert section of any reputable raw foodie un-cookbook. you will find at least one raw chocolate or carob dessert made with the secret ingredient: alligator pear!
Avocados are a healthy fat, complete protien and packed with: vitamins E and K, dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, trace minerals, oleic acid, (a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol.), potassium (a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure)
All ingredients are organic.
Start with a Nut-Crust of Choice. My two favorites are Peanut/Pumpkin Seed and Hazelnut Date
Peanut/Pumpkin Seed Nut-Crust
You will need: 1 glass dish or pie plate, flat-bladed food-processor (Cuisinart), refrigeration.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dry or soaked pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup roasted peanut stock (from New Mexico)*
- 3 or 4 soaked majool dates (soaking water reserved)
- Soaking water from the dates, as needed
- ¼ cup grade B maple syrup
- ½ tsp of living sea salt
- ½ cup coconut butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil plus a bit more the oil the glass dish
- ¼ cup wild-crafted mesquite pod meal (optional)
- seeds of a whole cured vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla caviar (optional)
- ½ tsp of pure almond extract (optional)
Process in flat-bladed food processor to desired consistency. Add small amounts of the soaking water from the dates and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl frequently. You can pulse it into a course and crunchy crust, or a consistently smooth dough. I like course and crunchy and it’s easier to work with. Use wet hands to press crust into a glass dish. Pop it in the freezer while you make the filling.
Option #2: Hazelnut-Date Crust
Same as above. Substitute 2 cups of soaked or dry hazelnuts for the peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Or use half pumpkin seeds, half hazelnuts or any fraction you’d like. It’s a very forgiving recipe as long as you keep it fairly sticky, but not too dry. Avoid too much liquid. If it does become to wet, add lucuma powder or tocol trinols to desired consistency. It will firm up when chilled.
Chocolate Filling
- 2 or 3 pitted medjool dates, soaked (soaking water reserved)
- seeds of two whole cured vanilla beans or vanilla caviar, in a pinch, natural vanilla extract
- Fruit meat from 3 or 4 ripe mashed avocados
- 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
- 2 to 3 TBs of raw honey
- 1/4 cup of coconut butter (optional, but, will have a lighter texture without it)
- 2 TBs of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of raw carob powder
- 2 to 3 TBS of raw cacao powder (For color. Carob alone makes a murky greyish green color pie.)
- soaking water from the dates
Place the dates, maple syrup, coconut butter and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocado, 2 TBs coconut oil, raw honey, carob and cacao powders. Blend until creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Add the date-soak-water as needed. Take out 2 to 4 small protions to eat as “mousse” at room temp. Fill crust with the rest. Chill until sliceable. Will keep for three days in the refrigerator or two weeks in the freezer.
Variations: Omit the water and use as mouse as a frosting for uncookies. Double the water to use as chocolate sauce. Freeze for 4 hours then thaw 15 minutes to use as frozen custard.
Top with fancy stuff that you like!
Other Cool Stuff to Do with Avocados Disguised as Chocolate Mousse:
Mesquite Almond Spoon Truffles
Add mesquite pod meal and sprouted almonds in amounts to your liking to the Chocolate Filling recipe above, eat by the spoonful! Be creative, you can ad whatever you want! Who's going to argue with that!? Here, have a whole spoonful of goodness for goodness sake!
Fancy Freezer Truffles
Use a melon-baller dipped in oil to form little round globes of Chocolate Filling. Decorate with fancy stuff like: sprouted almond "leaves", black walnut bits, candied flower pedals and berries of all types. Serve chilled. Don't worry if you forget to pass out the napkins. There will be finger-licking, even among the most polite.
