I imagine when you read the title to this dish you had a queried look on your face – how do you have a chocolate mousse made with avocado? Well you can and I can assure you it is sensational. This mousse not only has all the nutrient benefit of avocado, but it has dates, raw honey and is magical to taste. I did this for a client’s dinner party not that long ago and had everyone guessing as to the ingredients!! This recipe serves 4.
Avocado mousse with spiced orange
100g pitted medjool dates
2 large ripe avocados
35g good-quality cocoa
Chopped pistachios and cocoa nibs, to serve
Spiced Orange
2 oranges
175g raw honey
2 cinnamon quills
6 cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
Soak dates in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and roughly chop. Set aside.
Meanwhile, peal and segment the oranges, then squeeze the juice from the remaining flesh. Transfer segments and juice to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add honey, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, until syrup has thickened and reduced. Strain syrup through a sieve and set aside to cool completely. Reserve orange segments and discard any remaining solids.
Whiz the avocado, cocoa powder, and reserved dates and syrup in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Spoon into four 125ml serving glasses and chill for at least an 1 hour to firm up.
Serve mousse chilled, topped with orange segments, pistachios and cocoa nibs.
