Mousse - non-dairy, creamy and elegant

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“Mousse”

Chocolaty, Elegant, Simple, Health-full, and Delicious!

Adapted from detoxinista.com by My Little Blue Heron

Avocados. 

I love those bags of tiny avocados. They’re perfect-sized, but what do you do with too many ripe ones? I found this great recipe and with a little twist, here’s my mousse. 

This one's elegant enough for a holiday dinner party or for a healthy snackeroo. If you’re vegan or if you’re entertaining a vegan, this is a fantastic and elegant dessert. Promise: this will not taste like chocolate guacamole.

And you can freeze it!

My Vitamix is one of my best kitchen tools. If you have one, a small food processor or a hand blender, voila! 

Don’t hesitate to play around with the ratio of cacao/carob/cocoa. Whatever you have on hand or like best will work. I like to use carob because it’s naturally sweet and it has no caffeine. But some folks don’t like the taste of carob. Try fooling around. It’s safe to do this in the kitchen.

If you have vanilla extract, that’s fine, but try some pure ground vanilla. There’s no alcohol and it’s always gluten free. I like this one, available on Amazon in the U.S. 

Added fruit can be fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried. Fresh or frozen will add more texture. If you’re okay with seeds, fresh or frozen raspberries will add them. You can mash through a fine sieve and separate out from the seeds, too. I've had the most success with freeze-dried raspberries (Trader Joe's!) No seeds. If you add freeze-dried, add a little at a time until you're happy.

Be mindful of how much water and ice you add. Add each a little at a time, until you achieve mousse.

Serve: plain, topped with fresh raspberries, non-dairy whipped cream, chopped up toasted nuts or coconut (only if you’re using these flavors in the mousse.) Or some shaved dark or unsweetened chocolate.  Portions should be kept small(ish) because avocados are rich, filled with good fats, and you'll be surprised at how satisfying a small portion is. 

Happy Holidays! Happy, Healthy 2022!

peace and love,

Jane

Mousse

 

Equipment:  Power Blender, small food processor or hand blender

 

Ingredients: 

4 small or 2 large ripe avocados

8 Tbsp. combined: cacao/carob/unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (to taste, less if using carob powder)

¾-1 tsp. pure ground vanilla or vanilla powder or extract*

Approx. 6 Tbsp. water + ice cubes, adding more, as needed

2/3 cup frozen raspberries or approx. ½ c. freeze-dried raspberries

         (may substitute other fruit, such as cherries)

Garnishes (optional): fresh fruit, chopped nuts, coconut, whipped topping,

                        shaved chocolate

 

Procedure: 

Scoop the flesh of the avocados into your blender/food-processor. 

Add all ingredients including the minimum amount of water.

 

Scrape down sides, as needed. Add ice cubes and more water until 

desired ‘mousse’ consistency is reached. 

Taste and adjust, adding additional syrup, fruit, vanilla,

or you may want to add a different flavor (almond, hazelnut extract, coconut flavor?!)

 

Garnish, and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Before serving, you can lighten the texture by whisking with a hand-held whisk.

 

MLBH Truc: Freeze leftover mousse. Defrost and whisk to return to

original texture.Garnish and serve!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carob Chia Pudding

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Carob Chia Pudding

My Little Blue Heron

Carob isn't chocolate, but it's often used as a stand-in. If you’re a devoted chocoholic, you’ll snort at this statement. I’ve never been a chocoholic and I admit, I’m a vanilla. But excellent chocolate is delicious. I am not turning my back on chocolate. This is just not about chocolate. It’s about carob. 

When you’ve had enough, say “cacao.” 

Some interesting facts about carob: 

Carob is from an evergreen tree that’s indigenous to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The pods that grow on the tree are ground into carob powder.

Wikipedia refers to carob powder as an “ersatz cocoa powder”, popular during the 1970’s natural food ‘movement’. (Will someone please edit that article.)

Carob is naturally sweet and chocolate is naturally bitter.

Chocolate is associated with triggering migraine headaches. Carob is not.

Are YOU a chocoholic? Seems like every other person I meet is. There’s truth to it. Wikipedia says, “Enkephalin triggers opioid receptors similar to those triggered by heroin and morphine use. This chemical leads the brain to desire more after chocolate is initially consumed, which can lead to addiction.” There’s lots more to read about this, and I don’t think it’s exclusive to chocolate. It probably has much to do with sugar and fat. But it makes sense. There’s a great deal of both in delicious chocolate.

Let’s return to carob. Here's a link to the NIH article on the nutritional profile of carob. It's pretty cool.

Making chia pudding is a snap. I prefer the texture when I make it in my blender, but you don't need a blender.

It’s dairy free, gluten free, vegan, low in sugar, high in fiber and it has protein and nutrition. I like the addition of maple syrup, but if you don’t want it sweet, omit the maple syrup, or add some stevia! Well, wowza me yowza.

You can add stuff, like chocolate carob chips, toasted coconut, or when you serve it, add some fresh fruit. Try some dairy free whipped oat or coconut topping!

Join me while ersatz back to the 70’s? 

pudding peace and love out to you,

jane

Carob Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)

2 Tbsp. carob powder (I like Anthony’s Organic)

4 Tbsp. organic chia seeds

¾ tsp. pure vanilla powder (linked) or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

optional: 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)

Procedure:

Using a blender: (I use a Vitamix), place ingredients in listed order in your blender and pulse until mixed. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides. Pour into one large serving bowl or individual pudding cups. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Using a bowl: To the almond milk, whisk in the ingredients. Wait 5 minutes and whisk again to prevent chia seeds from clumping. Wait 10 minutes and whisk again. Pour into one large serving bowl (or use the same bowl) or individual pudding cups. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Serve “as is” or garnish.

Serves 2

Pizzelle, Gluten Free, Anise with Chocolate Variation

Gluten Free Pizzelle Cookies 

(Anise with Chocolate variation)

Adapted from Nick Malgieri by My Little Blue Heron

Pizzelle (pronounced: "peetsellay") are some of the older cookies around - like me. They're wafer cookies, traditionally made on the stovetop using an iron (think thin waffles). These are so easy to whip up and make - particularly in our modern times, since you can crank them out with ease, using an electric iron. I've tested out several electric devices, including the (classic) Palmer, as well as the Chef's Choice, but my fave , by far, is the simplest model that Cuisinart makes. It's compact, non-stick, quick, accurate, and reasonably priced. The manual iron, or stove top, is harder to locate.  I had one but gave it away. 

Traditionally, Pizzelle cookies can lay flat or can be rolled or curved (like tuilles cookies - French for tiles .. the clay ones that are on roofs). They can be dipped, filled, or dusted with sugar. 

You can fool around with flavors! Swap out anise for vanilla or lemon. Try adding some espresso powder (I love King Arthur Flour's) to the chocolate variation. 

Due to the absence of gluten (stretchy protein), manipulating these cookies is a little challenging. I stuck with flat - and that's what I recommend you do, too. King Arthur Flour's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour is excellent and worth the price. Look for sales. Wegman's (it's in NYC now!) is always competitive in its pricing. I don't recommend using  their (or any) "Measure for Measure" flour. My faux of choice is guar gum. For me (and I've read that this is true for others) it doesn't cause stomach upset, and it produces a finer, gentler product. You'll read that you shouldn't use guar gum when baking, but I say guar for it. You may have to alter (increase slightly) quantity with guar - but just a smidge. If you're serious about learning about xanthan v. guar, you can read up on it. Laurent Dran, a genius GF baker, exclusively uses guar gum in his recipes. Xanthan gum is a mold that grows on corn. (His books are in French, so should you decide to purchase, here's an instant translation tool that I found really easy and convenient.) (And it's possible that xanthan isn't available in France, but I kinda doubt it.) And to play it from the opposite corner: other chefs (read about it in Larsen's "Gluten-Free Baking at Home", tout xanthan gum as the binder of choice because it's not from a bean source and it won't cause stomach upset. You'll find convincing arguments for either. I suggest you experiment with both and decide what's best for you.

I adapted these Pizzelle recipes from Nick Malgieri's "Cookies Unlimited" book. You can find a used copy for about $6. If you live in NYC, you can often find used copies at good bookstores like The Strand (which is fun to visit when it's not during Christmas time).

What's impizzellitive is that you WEIGH ingredients for these recipes). PLEASE buy a kitchen scale. Here's Wirecutter Deal's budget pick, which .. if you ACT NOW is at an unbelievable low of ... $9.47 U.S.

MLBH truc: If you have star anise: Please take a glass jar: fill it with some granulated sugar, throw in some star anise, pour in more sugar, repeat. Let sit for several days to several weeks. This sugar will make your pizzelle do the tighten up: 

peace and love,
jane

🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊

Gluten Free Pizzelle Cookies (Anise with Chocolate variation)

Adapted from Nick Malgieri by My Little Blue Heron

Equipment:

An electric pizzelle iron. A kitchen scale.

Ingredients:

314 g. King Arthur all purpose gluten free flour (NOT WITH XANTHAN GUM)

2 g. guar gum

pinch of kosher salt

9 g. baking powder (gluten and aluminum free)

2 eggs, size large, room temperature

1 large egg yolk

2 Tbsp. anisette (or use anise extract, but much less)

160 g, granulated sugar (may be infused with star anise (see MLBH truc above and then see note below)

8 Tbsp./4 oz. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

vegetable or palm oil for greasing the iron

Note: If you have anise seeds, you can grind them and throw in a Tbsp. or more, to taste – this is up to you and how much you adore anise. 

Procedure:

1.    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. (You can place the bowl on the scale, taring after each addition and then remove from scale to whisk.)

2.    In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, anisette, melted butter and sugar.

3.    Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mixture will be somewhat stiff.

4.    Heat the pizzelle iron to desired temperature. You’re going to have to experiment with this because every iron is different. Coat the iron lightly with vegetable or palm oil once. You won’t have to do this again unless the cookies begin to stick.

5.   Drop rounded spoonfuls of batter (my iron came with a measured spoon) onto the center of the iron, close the iron and they are usually ready when they stop steaming. The Cuisinart can be adjusted to different settings, and a light tells you when they’re baked. (I turn mine to pretty well done - almost the highest.) Easy!

6.    Remove immediately and place on a cooling rack. Repeat. Repeat .. until all batter is used. You can try rolling them while they’re still warm. Try using a French rolling pin or any cylinder as a mold. You can roll them into cones, dip them in chocolate and fill them with whipped cream!

7.  When cooled, store them in an airtight container. You can dust them with some powdered sugar – pretty.

Chocolate Variation:

1.    Remove 20 grams of gluten free flour

2.    Add 20 gram of unsweetened, dark cocoa powder

3.    Whisk flour and cocoa together well.

You may like the combo of Anise and Chocolate, or you may opt for vanilla extract (1 tsp. or ¼ tsp. Gluten Free vanilla powder made by Authentic Foods), and you could add a chocolate, hazelnut, orange or coffee liquor or extract.

Take care that you don’t overbake chocolate pizzelle cookies. Chocolate becomes bitter when burnt.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mesquite Flour and Guajillo Chile Butter - Gluten Free

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Mesquite Flour and Guajillo Chile butter

Gluten Free

My Little Blue Heron

Mesquite “flour” from Peru, is from the pods that grow on the Mesquite tree. The beans are ground, rendering a fine, sweet, warm and “smoky” flour. It’s great for baking. Pairing well with chocolate, coffee and cinnamon, it’s gluten free, high in fiber and iron and everyone together: “Amazon sells it”. I love it (the flour). I paired it with arrowroot, my preference to tapioca; and combined Muscavado and brown sugars. You can sub coconut sugar and any other sugar you like. I wouldn’t use too much, if any white sugar in this recipe. I use very little white sugar. 

Chocolate chips are up to you. I recently bought Guittard organic bittersweet wafers and they rock my world. But they rock my wallet, too. If you want to cut down on sugar, try Pascha sugar free chocolate chips. They’re also expensive. It’s worth the extra for excellence. Use quality ingredients, and you’ll have fine results. 

If you’re not adding nuts, try some chopped up dark dried cherries – that’ll work nicely. Trader Joe’s sells them without added sugar.

I had been topping these off with coarse salt and Turbinado sugar. I stopped – too many tastes going on. But if you love salt/sweet/hot altogether, give it a whirl!

Be sure you don’t under-bake these. If they’re not completely baked, they won’t hold up (gluten-free’ll do that.)

Here’s to opening our borders for those who seek asylum, safety and freedom. Here’s to freeing detainees (children!) from our concentration camps. Finally, here’s to the swift removal of a truly sick man who wears the cufflinks of a president and to establishing some dignity, intellectualism and sanity (yes, there isa sanity clause) in America if it isn’t already too late.

To love, peace, good health and happiness for all beings. To chocolate chip cookies.

peace and love,

jane

मेत्ता

Mesquite Flour/Guajillo Chile Butter 

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:

84 g. toasted/cooled and chopped pecans (or walnuts)

113 g. Guajillo chile butter (see below – recipe will yield more than needed)

½ tsp. vanilla powder (or 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract)

100g. Muscavado sugar

50 g. light brown sugar

130 g. mesquite flour

45 g. arrowroot flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 egg, size large, room temperature

170 g. bittersweet (very dark to unsweetened) chocolate, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

To make the browned Guajillo Chile butter: 

Melt 226 g. (2 sticks or 18 Tbsp.) unsalted butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan with 2 Guajillo chiles. Skim foam and discard. Cook butter until ‘browned’. Optional: For real picante, add chipotle powder (to taste). For this recipe it’s not necessary to strain but if you’re using this for recipes that will reveal the butter, please strain through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside to cool.

Sift or whisk together mesquite and tapioca flours with salt and baking soda. Set aside.

MLBH truc: Mesquite flour will puff out like a cloud of confectioner’s sugar, but worse. When adding this to the batter, throw a dish towel over the mixer before you power up.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the cooled butter and sugars. 

Add the egg and mix on medium speed until lightened.

Dump in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. (see above MLBH truc!)

Add the chopped chocolate and nuts and mix until combined.

At this point, you can roll into logs (parchment or waxed paper) and refrigerate or freeze for slice and bake cookies. Or, you can proceed and bake these as drop cookies.

If batter is too soft, refrigerate until firm.

Preheat oven to 350º F. 

For drop cookies, use small cookie scoop and flatten to ½”, using fork tines, crisscross. 

Bake until browned, about 8-12 minutes.  Cool on racks before removing from parchment. Store in airtight tin or freeze.