Avanaa Chocolate Mousse and Gingerbread Banana Cookies

Do you remember those snacks from the 90s called Dunkaroos: it consisted of a two-section package, one for small shortbread cookies, and the other for creaming. Marketing genius that will have delighted a whole generation, who cheerfully “dipped” these cookies, in protest to baby carrots and fat-free yogurt dips.

We wanted to offer you an accessible dessert for the holiday season, which will awaken your child's heart. We strongly encourage you to use high quality Avanaa chocolate . A chocolate mousse has few ingredients and depends on their quality. You won't go wrong with Avanaa's Tumaco 70%!

AVANAA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

For 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

400g 35% whipping cream
200 g Tumaco 70% chocolate from Avanaa
100g egg yolk
70 g of sugar
20ml water
2-3 tbsp. 1 tbsp rum or Grand Marnier (optional)

Instruments

An electric whisk and a manual whisk
A sugar thermometer (they sell these in grocery stores for a few dollars!)

Tips

Remember to put your bowl for the whipped cream in the freezer for a few minutes so that it is very cold. The cream will rise more easily.

Instructions

1) Transfer the whipped cream to a cold bowl and whip for a few minutes at high speed with an electric whisk. When the cream forms peaks, use a standard whisk to even out the consistency.
2) Put the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high heat.
3) While the sugar is heating, mix the egg yolks with your electric whisk for a few minutes. The color will change from bright yellow to pale yellow, almost white.
4) The sugar with the water should now be boiling. It should be very thick and reach a temperature of 117°C.
5) Pour the hot sugar syrup over the side of the bowl where the egg yolks are, while beating the mixture with your electric whisk on high speed. Blend for about 4-5 minutes.
6) Put water to heat in a saucepan on the oven, at medium temperature. Crush the Avanaa chocolate in a bowl, and put it on the pan to make a bain-marie. Stir chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
7) Pour the egg/sugar mixture into the chocolate, and mix with a hand whisk. Add alcohol if you want it.
8) Using a spatula, in three times, add the whipped cream and mix very gently.
9) Separate into cups or ramekins and refrigerate for at least one hour.

BANANA GINGERBREAD

We advise you to prepare everything the day before, so that the aromas develop. The advantage of adding a banana is that the cookies are very soft. The recipe makes a lot of cookies, it's perfect to give them as gifts. Otherwise, hop in the freezer!

Servings: About 60 mini cookies

Ingredients

115 g butter, at room temperature
115 g cup brown sugar
65 mL molasses
65 mL maple syrup
1 banana
1 egg
1 C. vanilla extract
450 g all-purpose flour (if you find it a bit damp, add a little flour to the mixture)
3 tbsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. ginger, ground
2 tbsp. nutmeg
A pinch of salt

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put aside.
2) In a bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract. Put aside.
3) In another bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.
4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should not stick to your fingers. If so, add a little flour.
5) Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1 cm.
6) Cut shapes of your choice, then arrange on the plate.
7) Bake for about 8 minutes for small formats and 11 minutes. We invite you to check from 5 minutes, because everything depends on each oven and the size of the cookies. We advise you to bake cookies of the same size together.

For more information on Avanaa chocolates, visit their member profile here !

Enjoy your food!

Reviewed by Eveline