I love a few things in life. I love coffee, and chocolate, and…oh yes! I love my kids, and dessert, and also coconut. It’s pretty easy to make me happy if a day can somehow involves all these things.
We’ve been trying to eat a healthier diet here at my house, and since cold and flu season is upon us, that means watching our sugar intake in hopes of keeping our immunity strong. But we love sweets, especially after dinner, me more so than my kids even. I’m also trying to reduce carbs and grains because I just feel better when I do, and so through some trial and error (lots of sweet, delicious error) I’ve finally come up with a dessert mousse incorporating coffee, chocolate, coconut, and honey which is good enough to serve to guests. (Disclosure: I usually eat it all myself, so sorry future guests.)
It’s also a great dish for families and guests who have dietary restrictions. I didn’t set out to make it particularly allergen-free, but as it happens sometimes in life it was a beautiful coincidence. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten and grain-free, and it’s also relatively low sugar, using only 1/4 honey. You can reduce honey further, or substitute maple syrup or even stevia if you prefer. My autocorrect wants to make “stevia” into “Steve,” but I don’t think he’d make a good addition, so leave him out.
One more note: Because the mixing stage calls of this recipe calls for high-speed, take caution and take cover. Otherwise you’re going to be explaining to a gaggle of school children who slipped into the house unnoticed under the noise of the mixer why Mommy is licking chocolate mixture off the cupboards.
Chocolate Coffee Coconut Mousse (Dairy and Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cans coconut milk best quality; NOT reduced fat
- 4 oz strong brewed Keurig coffee
- 2 squares dark baking chocolate unsweetened
- 1/4 cup honey local if available
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
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Use Keurig set to "Strong" and 4oz brew-selection to brew a strong coffee. (I used Italian roast.)
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Add cinnamon stick to hot coffee and set aside. (This can be done day before.)
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Open cans of coconut milk and removed solids (coconut cream) which have risen to top. If you've purchased a quality milk, there should be approximately half a can worth.
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Put these solids into a medium size saucepan along with all chocolate squares and honey. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly.
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When chocolate has melted and mixture is completely incorporated, slowly add coffee (remove cinnamon stick first!) 🙂
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Cool this mixture in refrigerator until coconut cream sets. This can happen in 3-4 hours, but best left overnight.
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Once mixture has set, use stand mixer or hand mixer on high speed to fluff and introduce as much air as possible. Scrape down sides with rubber spatula and mix again.
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Spoon into individual serving dishes or large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Disclosure: Thank you to Staples.ca and Keurig for sponsorship of this post. I was furnished with a Keurig coffee maker and coffee samples for participation in this program, but I’ll tell ya – I have been a Keurig fan since they arrived on the scene. Anything that makes the coffee-to-mouth route easier is a-okay in my books, also because I can be a danger to fellow humans without a morning cuppa.)
Follow Staples.ca on Twitter and watch for the opportunity to win a similar bundle as they host Pick Me Up Hours on Monday, September 29th. Good luck!
Introducing Millicent. She’s here to help.
Malcolm
How many grams is 2 squares dark baking chocolate? Thank you