Friday Fuel: Valentine's Day Chocolate Mousse
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Chocolate on Valentine’s day is a long standing tradition. In fact, chocolate is one of the most well-known romantic foods. But why is this? Possibly its because chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac food meaning it contains a substance that ignites desire and makes people more open to romance. The Aztecs are credited with making the connection between chocolate and love, or at least lust, when 16th-century ruler Montezuma noticed that his ability to “please the ladies” was enhanced after drinking cocoa. Rumor has it that he drank three gallons of the chocolate-y drink a day to increase his libido.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, in celebration of this holiday of love and lust, I created the perfect plant-based chocolate mousse dessert. Enjoy this with your special someone and feel good about indulging in it as it’s gluten-free, dairy-free and full of healthy fats. Made with avocados, coconut milk and maple syrup this chocolate mousse is creamy and sweet but without all the unwanted cream, refined sugar and oils.
Chocolate Mousse
Yields 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium avocados
- 1/3 cups maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- garnish: toasted chopped hazelnuts and sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a high speed blender blend everything until creamy and smooth.
- Garnish.
- Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Juli Novotny lives in Southern California with her tribe and spends her days cooking up a storm in her little plant-based kitchen. After owning a gluten-free vegan cookie company for 11 years, Juli has since been cooking for clients, consulting for health food start-ups, and developing recipes for cool, like-minded brands. Last year Juli finished an intensive course in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University online. Her mission is to help people heal, thrive, get strong and change their entire lives simply by following a whole foods plant-based diet. You can find more of her recipes on her food blog: www.purekitchenblog.com or on IG: @purekitchenblog