Today is my birthday. We had a lovely day hiking in the hills. All is green with tall grasses looking like waves rolling in the wind. Wildflowers abound. The daughters were pestering me about what we'd have for dessert since, well, they love dessert. I had hoped to make Zen Belly's strawberry pie with a paleo crust but opted for a long hike with a picnic lunch instead. There are store bought good quality GF and even Paleo options (thankfully) here in Berkeley, but didn't want to bother with them so I made this old favorite of mine.

When I was a teenager I made myself chocolate mousse from my Mom's New York Times Cookbook several times a year because it was delightfully decadent and not that difficult. I wanted something similar today so opted for a mousse with much less sugar, no raw eggs but quick and easy, more so than my childhood favorite.

This mousse is really rich, creamy and decadent though it is exceptionally simple with few ingredients. I highly recommend when you want a special treat and want to treat your body right.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
2 TBS coconut milk (1 TBS cream & 1 TBS milk)
1 TSP vanilla extract
3 TBS maple syrup:
pinch of salt
Fresh strawberries (if in season)

Method:

Place all ingredients except the strawberries in the blender and blend until creamy. Spoon the mousse into ramekins or small jars and chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes. Serve with fresh strawberries (more than pictured!). Enjoy.