YOU HAD ME AT CHOCOLATE

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Have you ever had chocolate pudding made with avocados and totally dairy free? This recipe is the best thing I have made all week! You'd better make a double batch. 

What do I love about chocolate? Well besides being amazing it's a natural antioxidant - I'm talking about dark chocolate not milk chocolate (yuck). Antioxidants protect the cells from free radical damage. When I was in medical school, I should have bought stock in the local chocolate company, Theo's, I ate so much - it's how I survived! 

The other main ingredient in this delicious pudding is avocado. I had my girlfriends do a taste test at my book club last week and no one could even taste the avocado - wow! Avocados have over 20 vitamins and minerals and are a source of monounsaturated fat - the "good fat". 

Ingredients

• 2 large avocados

• 1 vanilla bean, split lenghtwise

• 3/4 cup raw cacao powder

• 1/2 cup organic maple syrup

• 1/4 cup raw organic honey - local if you can get it

• 1/4 cup organic orange juice

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3/4 cup hot water

• 1 can of full fat organic coconut milk chilled for 24 hours

• 1/4 cup roasted chopped hazelnuts

• 1 bar of spicy Mexican chocolate (I like the Taza Guajillo Chili)

In a blender or food processor combine the flesh of the avocados and the scraped vanilla bean - discard the pod. Add the cacao powder, maple syrup, honey, orange juice and salt until it is a coarse puree. While you still have the motor going add the hot water in a gradual stream to the chocolate mixture until smooth. Divide the pudding into 4-6oz ramekins or espresso cups. Chill for at least 2 hours. 

When ready to serve, make the coconut whip cream. Take the coconut milk out of the fridge and skim off the coconut fat. Whip until the cream forms soft peaks. Spoon over the pudding and top with toasted hazelnuts and grated Mexican chocolate. 

Eat up and hold on to your chair because it's so good you might fall on the floor!

Adapted from bon appetit.