Thankfully VegNews magazine provided this recipe just in time for Cinco de Mayo.  I quadrupled the recipe in anticipation of a social event, and shared this mousse with a group of folks who were unknowingly verbalizing exclamations of praise for this raw dessert.  Initially vegan, I did something utterly naughty and replaced the water with heavy cream.  Yum.  My advice to you would be to add the cinnamon and chili powder slowing, tasting as you go, and adjusting as needed to achieve the desired spice blend. 

I tried this mousse garnished with whipped cream and both strawberries and raspberries.  By far, the raspberries were better than the strawberries.  The raspberries’ tart sweetness was a complimentary counterpart to the creamy, spicy mousse.

Serve this Mexican cocoa mousse after enjoying some other Mexican themed dishes such as Clayudas, Mexicali Chop with Crunchy Tortilla Strips, Roasted Corn & Mushroom Tamales with Mushroom-Chile Cream Sauce, or  Black Bean & Toasted Corn Tacos

    

Choco-Mole Pudding

Ingredients
1              Large ripe avocado, pitted
8              Medjool dates, soaked at least 1 hour
4              Heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2      Tsp cinnamon
1/2         Tsp chili powder
1/2         Cup water (or heavy cream)
-              Whipped cream (optional)
-              Raspberries (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

1) In a food processor, combine all ingredients except the water.  With the processor running, drizzle in the water, stopping to scrape sides of bowl if needed, until smooth and creamy.  Let set/chill in refrigerator before serving.