Accidental Mocha Mousse
We had a super quiet Thanksgiving, which was fine with me. It was just the 4 of us and we ended up making even less food than I had planned. Around 4 pm we sat down to dinner, which was a delicious turkey (roasted by my darling husband, he really is a man of many talents), brussel sprouts with chestnuts and apples, cranberry sauce and gravy.
We ate for about 1/2 an hour, then my husband and I did the dishes, while the children squabbled. After that we all played cards and I thought about how thankful I am to be with them. Not sure what I did to end up with 3 such incredible people, though I am truly happy about it. Each of them is so fun, interesting and genuinely kind and I have learned more from them than from any of the people in my life. I am truly blessed. On a daily basis.
After teaching me how to play hearts, my husband retired to his office to watch some football and the boys and I played rotating scrabble. I took turns being on each of their teams. It was the perfect holiday.
Even though I hadn’t planned to downsize our Thanksgiving consciously, I think somewhere in the back of my mind, with all of the depressing news about the economy and the super depressing articles in our daily paper (about all of the bad things that could possibly go wrong on this holiday), I made a decision to really simplify this year.
Between scrabble turns my older son and I worked on making truffles (we are inherent multi-taskers), which accidentally turned into an unforeseen mousse.
When I mentioned this to my husband all he could say was –Sarah Palin. Those two words, “unforeseen” and “mousse” added up to only one thing in his politically overactive mind. He claimed that “Sarah Palin Mousse” would be a great name for this dish, though as you can see, I begged to differ and stuck with my own name for this super rich, easy to make mousse.
As we all know, sometimes the best dishes aren’t the ones we intend to make.
½ cup dark chocolate 73%
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon organic decaf coffee beans, ground
¼ cup hot water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
- In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate into coconut milk over very low heat
- Place ground coffee beans in a melita filter and pour 1/4 cup hot water over them
- Stir coffee into chocolate mixture, discarding grounds
- Stir in agave, then vanilla and almond extracts
- Spoon mousse into small individual ramekins
- Refrigerate 2-3 hours, until firm
- Serve
Makes 4 servings
Three of us shared one of these little dishes of vegan chocolate mousse after a very long game of scrabble; my little guy was not in a dessert mood. This mousse is very rich so be careful, don’t eat too much.
In terms of substitutions, I imagine there are many different ways that you could make this. Feel free to let loose and experiment with your own flavors and alternative ingredients.
Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Now that it’s over, what dishes would you like to see during the upcoming month? Desserts? Salads? Entrees? Something else? Leave a comment with your request!
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Subscribe by Email to elanaspantry.com:Posted on November 28, 2008 in desserts by Elana
you might also like: Thanksgiving
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Hi, this must be delicious. I had thought of melting chocolate in coconut milk, but now I think I will do it soon. I also have coconut cream, maybe this can be even better. Love this recipe, I dont know if I a variation with orange would be fine as well. I will keep you informed. Nice recipe, thanks!
November 29th, 2008 2:34 am
Hi Elana - Wow - your post inspired a lot of thought.
I am pretty much an omnivore except that I haven’t eaten meat, except for for fish, in many years. I’m just now starting to introduce some grass-fed protein into my diet. So I’m not celiac or diabetic; however, your blog has helped make me a more well-rounded eater and cook. The recipes you offer are simple, luscious and affordable - you don’t need a huge quantity to feel satisfied.
This resonates when I consider the state of things right now.
A focus on simple but flavorful can help bring balance to our lives. It can ease the burden on our wallets and help us make healthier choices. Our economy and possibly our health may never be what it once was, but I think much good can come from our current situation. Maybe some things will actually get better.
Of course, seasonal ideas are always appreciated. I live in Northeast Ohio - in a place that gets a lot of lake-effect snow. I’m always looking for dishes that warm and replenish after being outside in the cold and snow. Soups and stews are our favorites.
Thank you, Elana for your contribution.
November 29th, 2008 9:41 am
This recipe can surely be modified by you, an all “natural recipe connoisseur, but is delicious as is:
Date Milk Shake
(Makes 2 tall glasses)
Dates - 5 pits removed
Almonds - 10
Banana - 1
Cold Milk - 2 cups
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch (optional)
Directions
Soak the almonds overnight. In the morning peel the almonds. You can use the almonds with the skin too. Slice the banana. Blend together the dates, almonds, cardamom powder, banana, cold milk until a smooth consistency. If you find it to be too thick, add a little water.
Serve chilled.
November 29th, 2008 2:36 pm
This sounds amazing, I might just have to make it tomorrow with my left over coconut milk!
I for one would love to see some entrees. I love all the sweets and such that you post, but I am always on the lookout for a main dish!
November 29th, 2008 8:13 pm
we are a denver waldorf family and LOVING your site. thank you! any tips on beautiful, healthful cooking utensils, pots/pans and eating/drinking dishes (plates, bowls, etc). we prefer a local search but are willing to go national to find things for our family…
November 29th, 2008 8:22 pm
that sounds yummy and i will surely make it..coconut ‘anything’ is my new passion, (especially the coconut flour- which i would love to see more recipes made with)…this time of year i am thinking of entertaining and small bites- tapas and hor’s doeuvres…munchee foods- that are healthy and light…thanks for any suggestions! i don’t post much but i do love the site!
November 29th, 2008 9:26 pm
That sounds wonderful, i will definately give it a try after my Sunday dinner tomorrow! If you could do a vegan entree for the holidays it would be greatly appreciated, your vegan recipes are always amazing and I need something at the table that feels extra special for the holidays!
thanks for all you do! Cheers!
November 29th, 2008 9:37 pm
Wow!! Can’t wait to try this one too.
As a full-time working Mom, I’m *always* looking for casserole type dishes, the kind I can make in advance, store in the freezer, thaw while I”m at work, and throw in the oven as soon as I get home!!
November 30th, 2008 5:58 am
Such a lovely Thanksgiving celebration you had!!
That is THE tastiest-looking accident I think I’ve ever seen - yum!!
November 30th, 2008 6:01 am
Sarah Palin Mousse - ha ha ha ha ha!
Sounds de-lish!
November 30th, 2008 8:14 am
Question: All of my baking chocolate is given by weight, not by cup. Are you melting the chocolate first and then measuring the liquid amount?
November 30th, 2008 11:05 am
Hi! The recipe sounds awesome! I will def have to try it soon!
You seem like an extremely talented and creative person. I was wondering if you have any ideas for gluten-free recipes made with pumpkin besides the traditional pies and breads and such…like maybe a main dish for dinner? Just curious….Thanks! Blessings!
November 30th, 2008 1:05 pm
MMmmmm I am a chocolate addict (which, unfortunately, my body does not welcome). This recipe looks like it will soon be satisfying my dark-chocolate-loving taste buds without too much burden on my liver and love handles.
As for future recipes, I would love to see everything suggested above, but I do lean towards more coconut flour recipes and anything that will help warm and rejuvenate us for the coming winter months. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is one of the coldest places in North America. Temperatures tend to reach below -40 degrees Celsius.
November 30th, 2008 3:30 pm
Your Thanksgiving sounded ideal to me. What a fine recipe your son developed accidentally. It’s often the way great recipes are formulated. I love luscious mousses and puddings occasionally and I’m going to make Accidental Mousse soon. Please feature some hearty one-dish casseroles and slow-cooker entrees. They’re ideal for the cold winters here in S.W. Ontario. We get the same weather basically as Buffalo, N.Y. but much less snow. We need a warming, satisfying meal at the end of a winter’s day. I’m mainly looking for G.F. vegetarian ideas although I occasionally cook non-vegetarian meals. I love your site and since I’m celiac, you’re extending my cooking repertoire greatly! Thank you.
November 30th, 2008 5:30 pm
My request: Winter salads, please and thank you! Your creativity is inspiring - and salads are the perfect mediumm for lots of creativity.
Sarah Palin mousse made me guffaw aloud!
Lovely Thanksgiving lessons all’round. Thanks for sharing.
November 30th, 2008 8:11 pm
Peanut Butter Buckeyes are my favorite home-made Christmas candy. I would love a healthier version. I am posting a question about chocolate in the forum because my daughter cannot tolerate even a small amount of the unrefined cane chrystals that are in the dagoba chocolate. So I need to make sweetened chocolate withe the unsweetened chocolate and honey or agave, but I’ve never done it. Any input on that would be appreciated
November 30th, 2008 9:04 pm
I’ve been craving a good chocolatey treat! This will most definitely do! Although I am very curious how this turned into a mousse from truffles :)
I love your blog, lots of great recipes and ideas! You bake a lot w/ almond flour - do you grind your own? I’ll be happy to see whatever you post I’m sure!
November 30th, 2008 11:58 pm
:( I just wrote a very long post and I don’t think it worked! That’s ok, I’ll try to recreate it later. I just wanted to thank you for the recipes I made with my mom this Thanksgiving (we are both gluten free), we loved the cranberry sauce, cran walnut bread, and gravy. You made our holiday; we have a wonderful extended family who love old holiday staples like canned cranberry sauce and corn bread stuffing and sour cream mashed potatoes…no thank you! So, Elana, thank you very much from my mom and I! My request for you could prove to be a difficult task; I have never found a recipe for German Chocolate Cake that isn’t loaded with sugar and flour! I have faith in your baking skills after having tried so many of your recipes, so I thought I would at least ask. I make a German Chocolate Cake for my family every year for Christmas, but now that my mom and I have gone gluten free we will have to miss out, unless we can create a better recipe. Thanks so much, and good luck if you attempt the cake!
December 1st, 2008 8:26 am
Coconut Cream works better for truffles, in my experience, because it has a higher fat content, and creates a more truffley consistency. I follow normal chocolate/cream recipes, with the coconut cream directly replacing the cream.
Of course, I’ve done SOMETHING wrong roughly a third of the time and ended up with a big bowl of melty chocolate that won’t turn into truffles. But that’s the beauty of chocolate— even when you screw it up, it’s still yummy!
December 1st, 2008 7:51 pm
cdecocina -I think it would be amazing with orange in it –keep me posted…
Jessica -Thanks for your beautiful words. Just posted a turkey soup, so I hope you like it!
moi -Thanks, that sounds great, I bet my boys will love it.
Freedom -Yes, more main dishes are coming, stay tuned…
Sara -Thanks for your comment. Have you looked in my amazon store? I also have a post on cookware that you may want to check out.
donna -Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment; I am thinking about a stuffed mushrooms post prior to the holidays, you might like that one.
nickie -Thanks for your comment. I will be making a bunch of veggie side dishes that I hope you will like, some might work as entrees as well…
Ruth -I think you might like the crock pot turkey chili I just posted, good to throw in during the morning and it’s pretty much ready when you get home.
VeggieGirl -Thanks so much for your sweet comments; you always make my day!
Kay -Hee hee hee.
Ruth -Yes, this is a problem throughout the site that I am going to be remedying soon. Do weigh your chocolate prior to melting; 1 cup of chocolate = 6 ounces in weight.
Sarah -Wow, that’s a a great idea. You might like my stuffed acorn squash. I bet little pumpkins stuffed with a ground turkey chili would be great. I will keep that in mind for a post.
Shannon -Thanks for your comment. There will definitely be more warming dishes coming and I will throw a few coconut flour recipes in as well.
Leslie -You are welcome; more warming dishes are on the way.
BevB. -Thanks for your comment! I am tickled that you continue to read my blog. More winter salads coming up. Take care and hope we chat soon.
Kathleen -Haven’t heard of Peanut Butter Buckeyes, though they sound delicious. I do have a recipe for making your own chocolate with agave.
Stephanie -Thanks; stopped grinding my own way back when. Just takes too much time and Honeyville sells it on the cheap, so it’s easier and just as cost effective to purchase ready made.
Samantha -Thanks for your kind words. I will definitely be putting the German Chocolate Cake on my list. I don’t want you and your mom to miss out and it shouldn’t be that difficult for me to devise.
CosetTheTable -Couldn’t have said it better myself!
December 1st, 2008 11:26 pm