Vegan Mexican Chocolate Pave with Kiwi Salad and Grand Marnier berry drizzle
As part of our Earth day celebration, we bring this Vegan Mexican Chocolate Pave as a vegan gluten free alternative to the every day offerings. It is healthier than most chocolate desserts. But, don’t be fooled. It is chocolate. And, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. After all it is one of the neglected food groups.
The proper pronunciation is Paw vay. A pave is just a French term for loaf. It derives from pate. The infusion of cinnamon and chilis give this an Aztec take on a French classic. What is better than a sweet semi gooey log of pure spiced chocolate delight?
We macerate Berries and kiwi to vary the textures and colors on the plate. And, a smooth berry coulis rounds out the presentation. If you are serving meat eaters, don’t bother telling them it is vegan. It may upset them, and they won’t eat it. Just let everyone enjoy. Think of it like, substituting butter; because, “it’s not nice to fool mother nature…” In actuality, the only difference between this and a non Vegan Mexican Chocolate Pave is the omission of dairy. So, what they don’t get, they won’t miss. Coconut cream still provides saturated fat. But, it has better health benefits than dairy cream.
Enjoy this with a nice aged port for a truly decadent experience.
Vegan Mexican chocolate Pave with Kiwi Salad and Grand Marnier berry drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 Lb vegan chocolate
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1/4 cup Agave syrup or raw honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 mini chili Fresh or dried
- 1 each cinnamon stick
- For drizzle
- 1 Tbsp Grand marnier
- 1/2 pint Strawberries or raspberries
- 1/4 cup Simple syrup
- For Kiwi Salad
- 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
- 2 Tbsp sugar in the raw
- 2 large kiwis
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries or other berry
- Fresh Mint to garnish
Instructions
- Put all the chocolate ingredients in a large metal bowl and set it over a pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. Stir occasionally to make a smooth chocolate. Turn temp down a bit and allow the cinnamon and chili to infuse their flavor into the chocolate for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the chocolate from the heat and pour it into a mold lined with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge and allow to set at least 2 hours.
- Make the Drizzle. Blend berries, grand Marnier and syrup at high speed. If it is too runny, add more berries and puree more. Strain seeds if they are evident.
- make the kiwi salad: Put kiwis and berries in a bowl and toss with sugar and grand Marnier. Allow to absorb the flavors for at least 20 minutes.
- Unmold the chocolate and cut slices. Serve with kiwi salad,, berry drizzle, and garnish as you see fit. A sprig of mint is always nice.