When I see avocados, I automatically think of guacamole: its vibrant green color, its creamy smooth mouthfeel, its tangy brightness on the tongue. What comes to mind when you see this big black botanical berry?
It wasn’t until a spontaneous trip to a Vietnamese restaurant one summer that I realized this view of the pebbly, charcoal-skinned fruit was culturally biased. The establishment offered an avocado milkshake, and I had to do a double take to make sure I had actually read the menu correctly. Milkshake?! As in mixed with milk and sugar?!?! My love of avocados and deep curiosity both insisted I buy one of these mysteries and discover what I’d been missing all my life.
This milkshake was everything I’d dreamed it could be: rich and luscious, with all the lovely velvety texture of the fatty fruit shining through; cold and refreshing with a surprising sweetness chasing the green, earthiness at the back of my tongue. It was a revelation! Many a sweet avocado experiment soon followed. If you’re even the slightest bit curious, as I was, you can make the milkshake yourself in a few quick steps.
Above: The ingredients for our milkshake, including a local honey steeped with lime peel for added flavor!
Avocado Milkshake
- Add diced avocado, lime juice, milk, and honey to your blender cup.
- Blend until smooth.
- Adjust flavorings and consistency, as desired.
- Pour and enjoy!
Since I wanted to avoid an icy crunch in this drink, I scooped the avocado into a bowl and tossed it with lime juice (to prevent browning), then popped it in the freezer overnight prior to preparing it. I imagine this would work well with any milk and sweetener you like.
Continuing the slide down sweet treat street is a sumptuous pudding that highlights the ambrosial qualities of syrupy avocado, and it’s just as simple to make as the beverage above!
Tropical Avocado Mousse
- Add diced avocado, lime juice, coconut cream, and piloncillo to your food processor bowl.
- Blend until smooth.
- Adjust flavorings and consistency, as desired.
- Spoon into a bowl and enjoy!
We enjoyed the texture of this dessert even more when semi-frozen, so feel free to leave this in the deep freeze for a bit to firm up, if you like. Sprinkle with shredded coconut before serving, as desired.
Having played around with a few sugary variations, it was time to revisit the avocado’s savory applications–but this time, we added fire! Did you know that avocados come alive when cooked?! We roasted and we grilled, and we were immensely satisfied with the surprising results!
The avocado halves pictures above were simply brushed with a touch of bacon fat to prevent undo browning during the roasting process and preserve the gentle grassy hue of the flesh. Slid into a hot oven (400°F or 200°C), they were finished in about 30 minutes. [Note: Please set aside to cool before handling or blending!]
The result of this detour into flame-riddled territory is nothing short of brilliant, for our previously docile and mild-mannered produce emerges boldly declaring a smoky personality previously un-imagined, crying out for a pairing with an equally smoldering bacon!
Bacon Avocado Mousse
- Add diced avocado, lime, bacon drippings, sour cream, and salt to your food processor bowl.
- Blend until smooth.
- Adjust flavorings and consistency, as desired.
- Spoon into a bowl and enjoy!
The addition of bacon drippings to the puree adds deeper flavor to this dish, but be careful! If you add too much, it can wreak havoc on the texture. Feel free to sprinkle the finished mousse with crumbles of bacon to your heart’s delight!
And, lest we forget where our avocado adventures began, I leave you in the capable hands of Our Little Sous for instruction in the basic preparation of a humble guacamole.
Guacamole
Begin by cutting each avocado in half and removing the pit from the center.
Slice the flesh crosswise and scoop into a large bowl.
Add a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt, then mix to combine.
We like our guacamole super simple, occasionally opting to add a sprinkle of chopped cilantro leaves. While many may include a variety of other ingredients such a tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, and more, we prefer to save these for our salsa mexicana.
SO, have your avocado biases been challenged? Are you ready to try something new? Where do you stand on the sweet or savory spectrum? Join our #PLAYwithYourFood Community today and tell us how you like your avocado!
Looks delicious! I want to try the roasted one, and maybe the bacon mousse. This site is easier to get to! Good to hear from you!
It really *is* indescribably delicious, Martin. I look forward to hearing how yours turns out. Great to have you here!
I’ve made a chocolate and avocado mousse, so I know the tropical one will be delicious. I’m actually in Addis, where it’s avocados all year round, so I couldn’t have asked for a better post.
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed a sweet avocado dish, @mamagrace. Please let us know how your tropical mousse turns out!