Healthier Treats For Kids: Minty Choco-Mole Mousse Pots
Sat Apr 25 2020
In our Chef Recipe Series we have teamed up with Ireland’s leading food stylist and cookbook author Sharon Hearne-Smith to bring you: Healthier Treats For Kids.
In this video series the focus will be on delicious treats that are refined sugar free, using natural sugars such as fruit to sweeten and using healthier alternatives. In this episode Sharon will showcase how to make these insanely delicious Minty Choco-Mole Mousse Pots. This recipe is an indulgent chocolatey treat that is packed full of healthy ingredients. The kids will probably never guess that the main ingredient is avocado. The mousse combines the silky smoothness of a blended avocado with the flavour of chocolate.
Sharon features child friendly recipe videos, that are easy to follow and super tasty without all the nasties! These are a much healthier alternative to some of the shop bought treats that are ladened with sugar and E numbers.
To follow the series subscribe to our YouTube channel here.
Minty Choco-Mole Mousse Pots recipe:
“If the idea of chocolate and avocado in the same mouthful sounds unconventional, trust me – they are a food marriage made in heaven. Piping the mixture into the glasses gives a tidy finish and helps avoid air gaps, but the mixture can be spooned in if you prefer.” – Sharon
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs
- 2 ripe avocados
- 75ml maple syrup
- 50g cocoa or raw cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 4 mint sprigs with 5cm stalks
ESSENTIAL KIT:
- Mini-blender
- Disposable piping bag (or two small spoons)
- 4 x 100ml serving glasses
Method:
- Place the cacao nibs in a mini-blender and blitz to give a rough crumb. Tip them into a small bowl and set aside. Wipe the blender bowl and blade of crumbs.
- Halve the avocados, discard their stones and scoop the flesh into the blender. Add the maple syrup, cocoa or raw cacao powder, vanilla extract and peppermint extract, and blitz to give a thick, silky smooth mousse. Cut the tip off the piping bag to give a 2cm opening. Scoop the mixture into the bag and then pipe it evenly between the serving glasses. Alternatively, use two small spoons to scoop and scrape the mixture into the glasses.
- This can be eaten straight away or it can be made up to two days in advance and kept covered in the fridge. When ready to serve, sprinkle the cacao nib crumbs evenly over the top of each one. Stick a mint stalk into the centre of each one, so it sits upright as if growing, and serve.
For a twist…
Instead of the peppermint extract, add to the blender either the finely grated zest of 1 large orange or a 2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger that has been peeled and finely grated.
Getting to know Sharon:
Sharon Hearne-Smith is a food stylist and cookbook author. She has worked her magic with food in the media for 20 years in Ireland, the UK and the US. Her experience includes ghostwriting, recipe development and food styling for cookbooks and magazines and she has worked on over 30 cookery TV shows. Sharon has worked behind the scenes supporting top celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, James Martin, Gordon Ramsey, Lorraine Pascale, Donal Skehan, Rachel Allen and Neven Maguire.
In recent years, Sharon has written two of her own cookbooks, No Bake Baking and The No-Cook Cookbook, published by Quercus (London). She is a regular cook on RTE’s Today Show. Sharon is in her second year as ambassador for Supervalu’s ‘Get Ireland Cooking’ project where she helps encourage the nation to get cooking fresh, healthy and homecooked meals with a particular emphasis on encouraging kids to get involved.
Since becoming a Mum to Pearl (6) and Poppy (2), Sharon has become even more passionate about encouraging other parents to create healthy, wholesome food for their children. In this mini series with ‘I love cooking’, Sharon shares some of the healthier sweet recipes she treats her kids to.
You can watch our videos across all of I Love Cooking’s social channels and the longer versions in our Food TVsection or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
