Name: Nutella Espresso Cheesecake Mousse
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1.25 cups cashews (soaked for 8 hours or overnight and drained*); 0.5 cup coconut milk; 3 tablespoons maple syrup; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon espresso powder; null pinch sea salt; 2 cups hazelnuts; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 0.25 teaspoon sea salt (to your taste); 0.66 cup oat milk ((or another creamy plant-based milk)); 4 ounces dark chocolate (chopped); null null ground cinnamon; null null sea salt (flaky)

Instructions

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1

Prepare the Espresso Cheesecake Mousse: Add the raw cashews (1.25 cups) to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend for 30 seconds until broken down. Add the remaining ingredients for the mousse: canned full-fat coconut milk (0.5 cup), coconut nectar or maple syrup (3 tbsp), fresh lemon juice (3 tbsp), pure vanilla extract (1.5 tsp), espresso powder (1 tsp), and [a pinch fine sea salt]. Blend until the mixture is smooth, thick, and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. It will take 2-3 minutes.
2

Refrigerate the mousse while you prepare the Nutella. It will thicken slightly.
3

Prepare the Nutella: Preheat the oven to 176°C. Place the hazelnuts (2 cups) on a rimmed baking tray and spread out evenly. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and very fragrant. Allow the hazelnuts to lightly cool.
4

Place the [hazelnuts] on top of a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the hazelnut skins. It’s not necessary to remove all the skins.
5

Place the [hazelnuts] in a food processor or high-powered blender until it turns into nut butter. This can take up to 10 minutes depending on the quality of your food processor. Mine took only about 6-7 minutes.
6

While the [hazelnuts] are blending, prepare a double boiler. Add a few inches of water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Nestle a heatproof glass bowl that sits on top of the saucepan without touching the water to create a double boiler. Add the 60% dark chocolate (4 ounces), oat milk (0.66 cup), pure vanilla extract (1 tsp), and [0.25-0.5 tsp fine sea salt] to the bowl on top of the double boiler. Allow the chocolate mixture to melt, whisking frequently until smooth and all the chocolate pieces have melted.
7

Pour [chocolate mixture] into the food processor or blender with the [hazelnut butter] and briefly puree until smooth, creamy, and all the ingredients are incorporated.
8

When ready to serve, spoon a little [nutella] into a glass, then layer the refrigerated [espresso cheesecake mousse] on top. Top with [ground cinnamon] and [flaky sea salt], if desired.