Recipe: Low-Sugar Avocado Chocolate Mousse (Work-In-Progress!)

As I've mentioned, I subscribe to a CSA/Farm-Share/Organic Veggie delivery... ("Oh, only about a JILLION times!")

And they have a blog...

And they post recipes...

And one of their recipes made me go "Hmmmm!"

That recipe is here :-)

It's been sitting on my Pinboard for awhile, and I keep buying avocados, and letting 'em sit til they get disgustingly squishy, and throwing 'em out! (Oooops!)

What can I say?  Sometimes I am just not in the mood for Kitchen Witchery!

Well, last night I checked the latest batch of avocados and found them to be IDEALLY soft.  We're talking PERFECTLY squishable so I set about rummaging through the cabinets to find all of the appropriate ingredients (there really aren't many!)

Note: Omit the "Bullet Blender" - go with an Immersion Blender instead (not shown)

And, of course, I wanted to modify it to Low-Sugar so - once again - I am "adapting" the recipe.

Now, if you are a complete Choco-Holic FREAK who simply adores super-rich, super dark, almost-bitter chocolate mousses, you will absolutely LOVE this!

I have to admit, I am not in that particular camp.  I'm more a mild milk-chocolate kinda gal, but anyway - here is what I came up with, and it's pretty damned rich! (I need to cogitate on how to tone-down the bitterness, though...  For my own personal tastes!) (Although, on the plus-side, this stuff is soooo rich, I can only eat 1-2 teaspoonfuls at a time!)

QT's Low-Sugar Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Adapted from Farm Fresh To You

Yield: 4-6 half-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe avocados, halved, peeled and seeded (about 8 oz ea)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli's - Yum!)
• 3/4 cup granulated stevia (or Splenda)
• 2-3 TBS agave nectar (or honey) or more if you like your mousse a little sweeter (I might go "more" next time)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk (or plain almond milk, coconut or regular milk)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (might bump that up next time, and maybe cut-back on the choc-almond milk)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used pure vanilla that I picked-up in Mexico)

Instructions:
1.  Cut the avocado into several chunks, squish with a potato masher.

2.  Add the cocoa powder, sweetener, milk and vanilla and blend* until the mousse reaches the desired consistency, adding a little more milk if needed.

3.  Chill before serving.

Give it time for the flavors to meld some, before eating.  The flavor absolutely *does* change.  I was hoping it would "mellow" with time - and it did (somewhat).  But, like I say, this is still SUPER rich!

*Note, I started with my bullet-blender - using the grinder attachment.  Did not work.  Immersion blender in a DEEP bowl is definitely the better choice.  And, when you're using an immersion blender, it really-really helps to have a baby spatula to keep scraping the blender tip (this stuff starts out pretty thick - and if you, stupidly, use your finger to clear the shmear, you'll be smudging chocolate mousse ALL OVER the kitchen!)

More pictures:

Smushing the avocados.

These were absolute PERFECT consistency for squishing!

Mousse, after blending.

Yes, unfortunately, it DOES kinda look like doody!

(Might be better to smear it, all pretty-like, into your final serving dishes!)

Yes, I did make a bit of a mess!

I didn't post the picture of my work-area with all the chocolate-smeary fingerprints! ;-)

Anyway, like I say, if you are totally into the über-rich chocolate mousse thing, you will *definitely* love it!

I still want to go back and calculate the nutritional info.  When/if I do, I'll post it.  Possibly in a future-post if I figure out how to tweak the recipe more to my liking ;-)

Enjoy!!!