Receta A Gluten Free Vegan Dessert for the 4th, Chocolate Avocado Mousse. Yes, That's Right!
It's July 4th, 5 PM and I'm sitting here with my feet up in a chocolate stupor and there's still more partying ahead. American Independence Day, July 4th, is an especially big day here in Sonoma. Parades, Barbecues, and Town Fireworks displays abound. I'm not the only one who thinks that our festivities are pretty cool. Evidently, it's why we made Travel and Leisure's list of Americas' Top 10 Towns For July 4th Celebrations this year, clocking in at #8! The whole town turns out for the festivities.
We may be the Heart of Wine Country but every July 4th we get all Norman Rockwell on your ass. We got your Boy Scouts...
...our local big bike riding historical recreator guy...
Farmers on parade...
The local theatrical company...
The staff of The Basque Boulangerie (our local hang)...
The local Clydesdales...
George Washington and Friends...
The Sonoma Town Band...
And of course let's not forget that Sonoma started out as the capitol of Alta California, part of Mexico. The Charros Del Valle strut their stuff.
After the parade we strolled back home and then over to Anne and Jeff McKibbens house for a cookout. Anne and Jeff are the people who make CocoaPlanet Chocolate, which brings me to this 4th of July treat, Chocolate Avocado Mousse. Chocolate Avocado Mousse is nothing new, in fact it's been sweeping across the food blogging world for quite a while now. It was new to me however. I was looking for something special, easy and quick to make for the holiday. I'm still in renovation world and haven't a clue as to where half my kitchen stuff is. I do however have a food processor, a pot, a couple of avocados and some really great chocolate, which is just about all that's needed for this recipe.
It's that simple.
Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Here's What You Need:
- 3/4 cup of full fat coconut milk
- 2 ripe avocados
- 7 oz of high quality chocolate ( I used 7 discs of CocoaPlanet Deep Dark Truffle Chocolate)
1 capfull of vanilla
Here's What To Do:
Peel the two avocados and place them in a food processor.
Puree them.
Add in 3/4 cup of full fat coconut milk.
When you have a smooth creamy puree, pour it all into a large bowl.
Melt the chocolate by placing it in a bowl set on top of a pot of boiling water.
When the chocolate has melted, add it to the avocado coconut puree.
Mix everything together well. Make sure it's blended thoroughly.
Add in a capful of vanilla and stir it in well.
Taste test. If you need to add a bit more sugar to get the flavor you want, do so.
When you're happy with the taste, pour the mousse into individual serving dishes and put them into the fridge to chill.
After its chilled for a couple of hours, and is firm. Serve it up.
I topped mine with some raspberries.
Ok, but how is avocado and chocolate mousse really? For one thing, it's gluten free, and vegan. But what does that prove? I have to say I was nervous serving this stuff. It tasted great to me but who knew what others would think. Avocado and chocolate is not exactly what most people think of when they think of dessert. The two people I was worried about most were Alan, my husband who seemed genuinely nervous around all that avocado which is not very high on his list of favorite foods if it's not served as guac with chips. The other guy who had me on edge was Trevor, age 9. Having had an extra dark chocolate truffle spit-bounced off my head by a 5 year old years ago, I was right to be nervous.
As it turned out, I didn't have to worry, he loved it! Whew! And so did Alan. So, all those telling me of the benefits of mixing chocolate and avocado turned out to be right. It's a great dessert. The fats are healthy ones, and it's vegan, gluten, and lactose free. The prefect dessert to serve to those who follow various dietary rules, that everyone can enjoy.
This evening, we're off to the Town Fireworks which make for a great display off of Mr. X's deck. I'm looking forward to being able to cook in our new house. The appliances arrive on Monday and we're zeroing in on a completion date when I hope my cooking tools will once again emerge. Meanwhile, what's coming next? Another dessert perfect for summer. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori