i wouldn’t joke about such a serious subject.

i don’t claim to be an expert on many things. there are definitely things i enjoy, things i’m maybe even good at…but an authority? no.

there are two areas, however, in which i consider myself to be fairly well versed, and neither of them actually involve sewing. those that know me personally will find themselves unsurprised to hear they are macaroni and cheese and chocolate mousse.

as to the first: i can make a mean macaroni and cheese with whatever i have on hand. there is no set recipe in this house—it’s flexible and adaptable to the whims of our respective palates. sometimes it’s classic—elbows with a smooth bland and creamy sauce. sometimes it’s adventurous—campanelles with a five-cheese sauce and a hint of a bleu cheese bite. i even have a lighter, healthier version using silken tofu that would shock you.

but today it’s the second item on my list i need to discuss with you. my husband well knows that on perusing any dessert menu i remain completely unmoved until i hear the magic words: chocolate mousse. and i’m not talking some fake chocolate pudding thing. no no no bleh pffft hack hack spit spit. save that for your diner salad bars and school kids lunches, no offense bill cosby. i’m talking a real, dark, fluffy chocolate mousse. the kind that manages to be both light and whippy yet dense and heavy at the same time like some kind of magic trick. the kind where the chocolate flavor is so deep and rich you need a smidgen of real heavy lightly sweetened whipped cream to cut every spoonful.

yeah.

mousse like this:

mousse that’s all don’t be greedy, because you won’t be able to finish me if you take too much. i’m that good.

this is that mousse.

the recipe is called chocolate of the gods, and i found it because i was searching for a dessert to use our newest balsamic vinegar with.

dark chocolate balsamic…yummmm. have you ever been oil and vinegar tasting? a wine tasting would truly be a waste of my time. the only kind of wine i drink comes from the refrigerated section of the store and gets laughed at by true connoisseurs. but these gourmet vinegars are incredible—the flavor so smooth that you can sip them straight and you won’t believe the swill you’ve been putting on your salad up ‘til now. an 18 year aged balsamic bears as much relation to the grocery store stuff as a ford fiesta does to an aston martin. whoa hey you don’t come here for car metaphors, right? i’m forgetting my audience…ummm, it’s like comparing a pair of dollar store scissors to a sharp and shiny new set of ginghers, lovingly nestled in their velvet lined box. yeah. like that.

anyway, this mousse recipe does call for balsamic, i used the dark chocolate because, why not?

but what would you think if i told you that the main, number one, first ingredient in this recipe starts the way a good guacamole recipe would?

with two ripe avocados.

it’s a simple recipe. but there was a moment, as i pureed those avocados and got ready to drop in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce WHAT? yes, SOY SAUCE.

i thought maybe, just maybe, i was the victim of an internet joke? nah. can’t be. everything you read on the internet is true.

avocados, in. balsamic, soy sauce, agave nectar (the original recipe calls for maple syrup, which i didn’t have. i sub’d agave nectar), a tablespoon of sugar, a splash of vanilla.

puree.

this is not a joke, right?

add one cup of cocoa powder.

and that’s when it started to look like something.

it was dense and heavy, which two of the only three (!) reviews mentioned, so i took the added step of folding in some heavy cream i whipped.

and that’s when the magic happened. this. this is is real, dark, fluffy but dense, deep chocolatey flavored mousse.

this pagan mousse has made a believer out of me.

chocolate of the gods

recipe adapted from food.com here

ingredients
+ 2 large ripe avocados
+ 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp agave nectar
+ 2 tbsp sugar
+ 1 tsp vanilla extract
+ 2 tsp. dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, or 1 tsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
+ 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
+ 1 cup cocoa powder
+ 3/4 cup heavy cream

peel and chop avocado into chunks. put first 6 ingredients (up to and including soy sauce) in food processor and process until smooth. add cocoa powder and process until blended. whip up heavy cream and fold into chocolate/avocado mixture.
delicious right away, even better after a day in the refrigerator. trust me.