I am most certainly a chocoholic, it is simply a fact that cannot be denied. There are few things in the food world that I like more then a smooth, silky piece of dark chocolate, though I have no qualms eating a piece of milk chocolate if offered. I am not to keen on nuts in my chocolate, unless we are talking granola bars but that rarely stops be either.

A couple years ago one of my friends found out she had a lactose and casein allergy. Much to her dismay, she could no longer indulge in one of her food loves, chocolate fudge. Being not only a chocoholic but also a fudgaholic I completely felt her pain and strove to find a cure. This is the cure.

Vegan Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup soy margarine
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:
A lot of people say fudge is a really exacting science, with most fudges I agree, but I do not use a candy thermometer with this one, it is not a boiled fudge. I’ve never had any complaints regarding it though.

1. Start by pureeing your avocado. If you have one, use a food processor. I just squish the avocado through a metal sieve using the back of a large spoon (I have a food processor I just hate cleaning it for a task as small as this.) You don’t want any chunks at all in your avocado puree, it should be smooth and creamy.

2. Get the rest of your ingredients together now as well. You don’t want your fudge to scorch while you are digging out more powdered sugar. Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Only use a wooden spoons to stir fudge, candy cooks at a higher temperatures that can melt cheap plastic. The plastic can also impart a weird flavor on the fudge too. Line a loaf pan with wax paper or tin foil and set aside.

3. In a medium sized heavy saucepan, completely melt margarine over low heat. Don’t let it brown brown. Stir in the avocado.

4. Add cocoa/sugar mixture half a cup at a time. Stir well, until it looks uniformly “wet”. Sometimes I turn the heat up a bit to make this process go faster, keep a really close eye on it if you do this. Once all the cocoa/sugar mixture is added it will be quite thick and it does take some arm strength to get it well stirred.

5. Remove fudge from heat and stir in vanilla extract, let cool until warm and soft to touch. Stir until it starts to loose it’s glossy sheen (but don’t stir past this point of the fudge will be really grainy.) Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and cool complete (a couple hours.)

6. Once firm, slice fudge up and enjoy!

I suppose I am posting this for the benefit of lactose/casein intolerant chocoholics or vegans, or anyone who likes taking weird things to potlucks (like me.) This is one of my favorite fudges, it is a really smooth with lots of rich chocolate flavor (quality cocoa powder is important.) I use real butter when I make it for myself (as I am not lactose intolerant) I still like the avocado in it better then milk. (Maybe because I can convince myself it is healthier this way, omega 3 fatty acids or something.)

Oh, since someone always asks, the cocoa powder completely hides the green avocado, no one would know unless you told them Of course it is generally advisable to make sure the person you are feeding it to is not allergic to avocados…

If you try it, let me know how it turns out!