Would you be believe that the above dessert has avocado in it? It does. More surprisingly still, it tastes fantastic. There are few things that can get me to make the trek from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn, but the promise of a sprawling new Juice Generation with all the juices and raw-vegan fare that it entails, was enough to convince me a few weeks ago when I went to preview the just-opened new Williamsburg space. Chef Matteo Silverman, who is the mastermind behind Juice Generation’s food items, was on hand to prepare a variety of culinary delights and one in particular was nothing short of unforgettable (even according to my steak-loving dining companion). Luckily my friend works with Juice Generation and Matteo and she was able to convince him to share the recipe. See below for how to make the above heart-healthy delicious treat!
Chocolate Avocado Mousse with Vanilla Cacao Nib and Lemon Verbena Nectar (serves 4-6 people; cookies require 48 hours of prep time)
Mousse:
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
½ cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup agave
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
pinch of sea salt
Place avocado, cacao powder, agave, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour prior to serving.
Vanilla Cacao Nib Biscuits:
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup chopped, pitted dates
½ tsp ground vanilla bean
½ tsp lemon zest
pinch of sea salt
Place cashews in food processor and chop into a fine meal. Add dates, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Pulse in food processor until dough forms. Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie batter onto non-stick teflex sheets. Form into rounds ½” thick.
Dehydrate cookies 24 hours at 115˚F for 24 hours. Flip over cookies directly onto plastic netting and dehydrate another 24 hours at 115˚F to dry. Cookies should be crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Lemon Verbena Nectar:
½ cup clear, raw agave nectar
¼ cup lemon verbena leaves
In blender, puree agave and lemon verbena until well combined (keeps well refrigerated for months!).
Garnish:
2-3 large strawberries, sliced into ¼” rounds
2 tbsp cacao nibs
Assembly:
Place 3 strawberry slices, slightly overlapping in the middle of the plate. Portion ¼ cup of chocolate mousse in the center of the strawberries. Place two cookies next to the mousse and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the lemon verbena nectar. Sprinkle each mousse serving with 1 tsp of cacao nibs.