Chocolate Mousse

Yesterday a friend came over to learn how to make a raspberry tart that I've served him several times. It's his favorite, and he wants to make it himself. The tart is still in the dehydrator and will show up in a later post, but in making it I had a bunch of leftover Irish moss paste. The next few recipes will be dessert ones in an attempt to not waste the moss paste. Irish moss isn't easy to find in the Midwest, so I don't like to waste what I have.

Irish moss is a seaweed that serves as a thickener and bonder when pulverized in a blender. You can buy it dehydrated or in flakes, but I wouldn't use either of those forms in raw cooking or baking. Maybe in beer making but not dessert. The seaweed form is necessary to avoid an overly seaweed taste. Dehydrating intensifies flavors, so the flakes make all dessert taste like seaweed. Soaking the fresh moss releases a lot of the sea flavor.

Chocolate Mousse:

1 heaping T. of Irish moss paste
1 c. coconut milk
5 Medjool dates
1/4 c. cacoa powder or nibs (or a combination of the two)
2 t. vanilla
2 T. lecithin
1 T. chia seeds
1/4 c. coconut butter softened to room temperature

Irish Moss Paste:

1 c. Irish moss soaked for a couple of hours
1/4 c. water
2 T. agave
1/2 t. lemon juice

Blend all ingredients to a smooth liquid.

For the mousse:

Mix all ingredients except coconut butter and blend well. Add coconut butter last and blend again until smooth. Pour into small serving bowls and place in refrigerator until set. This usually takes about thirty minutes.

Serves 2 to 3 people.