Ever since making our savoury avocado truffles, we’ve been thinking about creating a dessert version of this much loved dish. Here is a quick and simple way to prepare an elegant and challenging dessert.
The “truffles” are filled with a light chocolate mousse and coated with cacao nibs and ground pistachios. The silky flavours of avocado and chocolate are complemented by the textural, crunchy coat.
The Concord grape sorbet, besides completing the dish with beautiful jewel tones, adds a nice amount of sweetness to the mild tastes of the truffle and bitter notes of the cacao nibs.
The sorbet tastes a bit like grape jelly and serves as an exciting companion that pleases both eyes and palate.
Chocolate Avocado Truffles and Concord Grape Sorbet
Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup meat of fresh young coconut
flesh scooped from centers of 2 avocados (see assembly instructions below)
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons carob powder
1 tablespoon mesquite powder
1 tablespoon maca powder
5 tablespoons raw agave nectar
3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
Coat
Raw pistachios – ground in a mortar
Raw cacao nibs – ground into smaller pieces in a mortar
Assembly
2 large ripe, but still firm avocados
Head here for step by step assembly instructions with photos.
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. With a spoon, scoop some flesh from the center of both halves, leaving enough flesh on the skin for the avocado to be able to hold its shape when the skin is removed. Place the flesh into a high speed blender with the rest of the chocolate mousse ingredients and blend until smooth. Fill the avocado halves with the chocolate mousse, and put them back together. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, this way the mousse will set and the avocado halves will become glued together. If you don’t have time to wait, you can bypass the refrigeration, and slowly peel away the skin from the avocado, it will just take a little more care. Place the ground coating on a flat plate and drench the peeled and stuffed avocado in the coating, carefully turning it to cover its whole surface. Your avocado truffles are now ready to be served, or to stay in a refrigerator for up to one day.
Concord Grape Sorbet
4 cups concord grapes
1 cup purified water
2/3 cup raw agave nectar, or more to taste
Thoroughly blend all the ingredients in high-speed blender, making sure that the seeds have been processed. Strain to remove the solids and discard them. Refrigerate until well chilled, and put into an ice cream maker for 25 minutes or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
Dining and Cooking