December 03 2017recipe of the week

A Festive Choc Cherry Mousse

Summer in Australia equals cherry season. And, what better way to celebrate our amazing produce then by indulging in recipes that hero this delicious fruit. We are truly lucky in Australia, especially in Victoria to have so many local farms only a hop skip and jump from the city centre that grow an amazing range of cherries all throughout the summer season. (Visiting a U-pick Cherry Farm is the best way to get your cherries this season. It’s fun, and extremely affordable. See here for all our favourite farms to visit.) There’s no better way to support local then to get your cherries direct from a farm and you are sure to leave with enough for every cherry recipe you could possibly desire. They pair perfectly on the traditional Aussie pavlova, or on top of a tart. They even pair perfectly with the quintessential Christmas pudding. But our favourite Cherry recipe is a quick and delicious Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse. A balance of fresh sweet delicious cherries, gooey cinnamon cherries and a rich dark chocolate texture. It’ll be a family favourite!

This recipe can be made completely dairy free and vegan friendly, simply choose a vegan dark chocolate, and a pure raw cacao instead of a coco.

Mousse
150 g Dark chocolate (50-70% is preferable)
2 large ripe avocados
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 x 160 g tin of coconut cream

Cherries
2 cups of cherries, halved and pitted.
1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
A couple of whole cherries for decoration.

First melt the chocolate in a small saucepan on a low heat. Gently stir the chocolate until it is completely melted, (It should have a smooth shiny texture), then set aside to cool.
Next, move onto the gooey cherries. Add 1 cup of the pitted halved cherries with the cinnamon to a small saucepan and simmer on a low heat until the cherries are soft. Adding a bit of water to the saucepan before heating can also help the cherries to stew easier. Set aside and leave to cool.

For the mousse, combine all of the ingredients into a blender, and pulse lightly. With a spatula scrap the sides of the blender and continue to pulse until the mixture is smooth. Then, add the melted chocolate into the mixture and pulse again until completely combined.

To serve, portion out a small amount of mousse into the bottom of the serving glasses or small ramekins. Layer each one with a layer of pitted fresh cherries, and add another serve of the mousse on top. Lastly, layer the gooey cherry mixture evenly across each portion.

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
Serve with a fresh whole cherries on top for decoration, or even shave some extra chocolate on top.

Makes 6 smaller serves, or if you love dessert like we do then indulge in 3 larger portions. To make bigger batches simply double or triple the portions.

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