I made these raw chocolate mousse kisses with raspberry cheesecake frosting for my Valentine. I’d love to say they’re all his favourite things in a dessert: dark chocolate biscuits, rich chocolate mousse and a tangy raspberry cheesecake frosting. But if I’m honest, they’re probably more mine.
Nick isn’t a big dessert person and would equally be happy with something simple like ginger cookies or swoonuts. However, cookies and donuts aren’t anywhere near as lush or romantic as chocolate kisses, and I make swoonuts all the time, so this is what he’s getting instead this year!
These sweet little chocolate kisses consist of a brazil nut, coconut and raw cacao ‘biscuit’ base, topped with an avocado and date, raw chocolate mousse, finished with a creamy cashew and raspberry “cheesecake” frosting. Chocolate, coconut and raspberries are all matches made in heaven, and they’re completely raw, dairy, gluten and refined sugar free.
This recipe is a little more time consuming than Swoon Food’s usual recipes and requires some planning ahead by way of soaking cashews and allowing some time for the raspberry cheesecake frosting to firm up. But don’t let that put you off! These little desserts are well worth the effort and will literally have your Valentine swooning.
If the idea of making three different components for this dessert sounds far too time consuming and unachievable for you, feel free to adapt this recipe to work for you. The simplest option is to leave off the raspberry frosting and sprinkle the chocolate mousse with freeze dried raspberries, superfood powders and/or edible flowers. Alternatively you could skip the chocolate mousse and simply ice the chocolate biscuits directly with the raspberry cheesecake frosting.
I hope these little chocolate kisses have given you some delicious inspiration, and if you make them please do come back and leave me a comment below! Enjoy.
Raw Chocolate Mousse Kisses with Raspberry Cheesecake Frosting
Makes: approximately 20
Prep time: 1 hour Soaking time: 2 to 4 hours Chill time: 2 to 3 hours
Chocolate Biscuit Base
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup raw brazil nuts
5 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or essence
pinch pink Himalayan salt
5 medjool dates, pits removed
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Chocolate Mousse
2 ripe avocado
10 Tbsp raw cacao powder
8 medjool dates
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
Raspberry Cheesecake Frosting
1 cup cashews, soaked
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup coconut milk (or nut milk of choice)
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, rice syrup or raw honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp pink pitaya (dragon fruit) or beetroot powder (optional)
4 Tbsp coconut oil
Decoration
Superfood powders e.g. pitaya, beetroot, blue pea, matcha
Freeze dried raspberries
Edible flowers e.g. viola, pansy, lavender, chive blossom, basil blossom, rose petals
Prep Ahead: Soak the cashews for the raspberry frosting by placing in a bowl, cover with filtered water and leave to stand for 2 to 4 hours. Drain off the water and rinse well. This can be done ahead of time and the cashews stored in the fridge for up 2 days until needed.
Frosting: Make the raspberry frosting first as this needs to firm up in the fridge so it can be piped. Gently melt the coconut oil by placing it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of steaming water with the heat turned off (this ensures it doesn’t go above 46ºC and remains in it’s raw state). Place the soaked and drained cashews into a high speed blender with the raspberries, coconut milk, sweetener, lemon juice and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the melted coconut oil gradually through the top of the blender with the motor running until well combined and smooth. Lastly, add the pink pitaya or beetroot powder (if using), until you reach your desired colour. Transfer the frosting to a bowl and place into the fridge or freezer to firm up. You’re looking for a thick consistency that holds it’s shape when piped. When firm enough, transfer the frosting in a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe pretty swirls onto the mousse topped biscuits.
Biscuit Bases: Gently melt the coconut oil using the method above. Place the desiccated coconut, brazil nuts, raw cacao, vanilla and salt into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the dates (ensuring pits removed) and blend until well combined. Add the melted coconut oil with the motor is running. Press the base mixture evenly into a lined brownie pan until approximately 7mm, then place in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up. When firm, use a cookie cutter to cut out small circles approximately 6cm wide. Gather up leftover cuttings, press back into a 7mm thick sheet and keep cutting out circles until all the mixture is used up. Place the biscuit bases on a tray and return to the fridge to keep firm.
Chocolate Mousse: Because this mousse contains dates, you need a really good blender or processor to get a super smooth consistency. Melt the coconut oil using the method as above. Place all the ingredients except the coconut oil into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the coconut oil with the motor running until well combined. Place the mousse into a piping bag with a large round nozzle and pipe round domes onto the biscuit bases.
Decorate: Finish off by dusting with superfood powder, freeze dried raspberries and edible flowers if desired.
These raw chocolate mousse kisses will keep in a sealed contained in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for one month.
