Chocolate lime avocado mousse

It seems a good thing to share a chocolate mousse the day before Valentines Day.  Yet we all know that chocolate is not just for Valentines.  Nor always romantic.  When I served this to E he told me it is too rich.  Which I didn't mind.  More for me!  Though not all for me because Sylvia quite liked it.

The recipe is based on Ricki Heller's Chocolate avocado pate that I have been meaning to make for years.  She first posted it in 2008 but luckily reminded me of it in her suggestions for 40+ Sugar-Free  Sweets for Valentine's Day.  Suddenly there I was with ripe avocado (with a spoonful taken out of it) and chocolate.  All I lacked was orange.  Which is where the lime stepped in.

I also bought some gorgeous small wine glasses at an op shop recently.  We took in a bag of donations and walked away with a bag of purchases!  I rarely drink wine these days.  I fell in love with them.  So I justified the purchase by dreaming of filling them with something like chocolate mousse or fruit parfait. 

Ricki says to put the pate in the fridge overnight and the turn it out and slice it up.  That was a bit fiddly for me so we just ate it straight from the glass.  I agree with E that it is very rich.  Yet I really loved it. 

Sylvia gamely tried some, didn't freak out when I told her that the mystery ingredient was avocado, and kept on eating.  It was too rich for her to each much of it.  She guessed that cranberry was the slightly sour fruity flavour.  Close but no candy.  She was tasting lime.

Eating chilled chocolate avocado mousse was just the right way to end to a lovely day.  I had been planning to sign up for membership to the zoo and found that a friend was going on the same day so we wandered about with her and her kid and saw the talk on the seals.  After school we took the kids to the outdoor pool and it felt like we were on holidays.  It had been forecast to be a stinking hot day but it was just perfectly warm with a cool breeze.  It was all good, even the mousse.

My only problem with the mousse was what to call it.  Ricki called it a pate but you don't eat a pate from a glass.  It was like a mousse before I chilled it and more like thick soft fudge once cold.  I am not up on the chilled desserts lingo.  So I am sticking with mousse.  But I agree with Shakespeare that a rose by any name would smell as sweet!  Sometimes it is better not to sweat over nomenclature.  Just eat it!

I am sending this mousse to:

• Kimmy of Rock My Vegan Socks for Healthy Vegan Fridays #34.
• Jac at Tinned Tomatoes for Bookmarked Recipes, a monthly event where bloggers share bookmarked recipes they have made.
• Gluten Free Fridays #129 which is run by Vegetarian Mama.
• I am also sending it to Kerry Cooks for the Extra Veg blog event that is overseen by Fuss Free Flavours and Utterly Scrummy.

Chocolate lime avocado mousse
Adapted from Ricki Heller
serves 4 (or more)

1 small ripe avocado
3 tbsp maple syrup
juice of 1 medium lime
150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Blend avocado, maple syrup and lime juice.  Melt chocolate and add to avocado mixture.  Blend until smooth.  Spoon into small glasses and chill in the fridge. 

On the Stereo:
Uptown Brown (self titled)