It's hard to believe that we're approaching April. I was certain that we were going to be perpetually stuck in February, à la Groundhog Day. To our delight, the majority of the snow around our house has melted. A few lingering patches still decorate the yard, but it's much better than it was just a few weeks ago. Spending time outside isn't as challenging as it had been. I don't need to protect myself with hats and gloves and scarves and bulky boot every time I take the dog for a walk.
This week, Eric and I are heading down to New Jersey for a visit with my family. While we're there to take part in the Seder, we're also going to celebrate a number of milestones. My nieces just had their birthdays and my grandmother's (who is turning 85) and my mom's are coming up.
Of course, Passover can be a tricky time for celebrating birthdays as the traditional cake is not an option. Yes, you can go the flourless route. But not everyone is fond of finishing their meals with such a dense dessert. This smooth and creamy vegan chocolate mousse is perfectly decadent in a "I can't believe it's not..." kind of way. In this case, the ellipses refers to the dairy, which I can guarantee you and your dinner guests won't be missing as you devour the whole bowl.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse
Yields 4-6 servings
Ingredients
3 - 13.5 oz cans full-fat coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
Fresh berries (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
Directions
1. Chill the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the cream separate to the top.
2. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), beat only the cream of the coconut milk at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add agave nectar and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.
3. Transfer a third of the plain whipped coconut cream to a separate bowl.
4. With the stand mixer turned on its lowest setting, mix in the cocoa powder with the remaining two-thirds of the whipped coconut cream. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and whip for another minute or two until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated.
5. Refrigerate chocolate mousse for at least 30 minutes to let it firm up.
6. Distribute the chocolate mousse into serving bowls. Top with plain whipped coconut cream and fresh berries.
