prep time: 8 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill
•
cook time: 7 minutes
•
yield: 8 servings
prep time: 8 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill
•
cook time: 7 minutes
•
yield: 8 servings
When I was a little girl, my parents often took me to High View, a restaurant in the small town of Medford, Wisconsin, that has Friday night fish fries. There is a cute little lake out in front where my brother and I would fish until our meal came to the table. After dinner, my parents often let us have nonalcoholic grasshopper drinks. The first taste of this creamy dessert took me back to fishing with my little brother at those Friday night fish fries.
In most mint-flavored recipes, the mint is used to infuse flavor, but to get the most benefit from the healing properties of mint, I puree it into this dessert. This also gives the dessert a lovely green color without the need for artificial dyes, such as those used to make crème de menthe so very green.
chocolate bottom:
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
⅓ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here )
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
creamy mint filling:
2½ cups full-fat coconut milk, divided
2 teaspoons grass-fed powdered gelatin
½ cup chopped fresh mint
½ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here )
½ teaspoon mint-flavored stevia (optional)
Pinch of fine sea salt
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
1. Make the chocolate bottom: Place the coconut milk, sweetener, and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture is simmering, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until the chocolate is totally melted. Pour 2 tablespoons into each of eight 2-ounce jars or small glasses. Place in the fridge to harden a bit, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place 1 cup of the coconut milk in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and stir until dissolved. Add the mint and sweetener(s) and heat the mixture to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1½ cups of coconut milk and the salt.
3. Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until it is extremely smooth and the mint leaves are completely pureed.
4. Pour the mint filling over the chocolate bottom in the jars. Garnish with mint leaves and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, until ready to serve.
gelatin tip: Using gelatin is an easy way to make tasty treats, but foods made with gelatin can easily get too rubbery if they sit in the fridge overnight. If you plan on making this recipe ahead of time and not serving it the same day it is made, I suggest using ¼ teaspoon less gelatin than called for; this quantity will create a perfect creamy texture even after a day or two of resting in the fridge.
busy family tip: Can be made up to 3 days ahead (with caveat—see gelatin tip).
