My friends Lee and Georgie introduced us to this Paleo chocolate mousse last night. It was so fantastic, that I decided to make a batch myself for dessert for Christmas lunch. What a win! And, it's so easy to make. It is quite rich, so you don't need a large helping. The dates are very sweet, so this does not require any additional ingredients to provide the sweet chocolate taste which we all love! This recipe will comfortably feed 6 people.
Ingredients for a bowl which should serve 6 people:
1 400g tin of coconut cream
1 cup of medjool dates (if you choose nice big ones, then you need around 8 to 10)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 or 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder (use carob powder for AIP)
60ml water
Note: I have made this recipe twice now, and I only used 3 tablespoons of cocoa the second time around. I preferred the slightly milder taste.
Remove the pips from the dates by slicing them open lengthways.
Then, pop the dates in a jug of cool water, preferably overnight, to soften the skins. If you don't have enough time to soak them overnight, then soak them for about an hour in boiling water and it should do the trick.
I used my Nutribullet to make the mousse, but a food processor or a normal blender will work fine too.
Pour the water off the dates and put them into your blender together with all of the other ingredients.
Blend the mixture together until it is nice and smooth and the dates are completely blended into the mixture. If you find that it is a little too thick, add some coconut water to thin it down a bit. A tablespoon of tap water would also probably work fine. The thickness also depends on how cool the ingredients are. If they are a little bit warmer, then the mixture will be thinner. Once you have cooled it in the refrigerator, it will thicken due to the coconut cream.
Transfer the mousse to individual bowls or espresso cups if you would like to make individual servings. I opted to make one bowl of mousse, which we will then dish up as needed. Let it cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour and serve.
