3 Sweet Ways to Use Avocados in Dessert — Chopped Junior
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
On the last episode of Chopped Junior, judges marveled at the contestants’ skills at transforming mystery basket ingredients into culinary revelations. In the entree round, Ethan’s perfectly seared branzino received a nod from judge Chris Santos, and the sense of balance in Tara’s crema sauce, which topped her boar tacos, left a lasting impression on the discerning judge.
As always, there is a method behind what seems to be the Chopped basket madness, with each of the three iterations containing some distinctly Latin flavors. Arepas, sweet potatoes, avocados and chicha morada challenged competitors to either lean into the theme or reimagine their items into foods that were more familiar to them. Emily’s addition of hoisin-like pig lollipop sauce (maybe one of the most-perplexing ingredients the chefs had to transform) was an unexpected and welcome twist to her arepa quesadilla in the appetizer round.
In the final showdown, both contestants struggled with incorporating creamy avocado into their desserts, and judge Chris Santos found both desserts a little too savory.
So how do you transform something like an avocado into a sweet course? It seems the experts at Food Network Kitchen have figured out the winning formula: Use the avocado for texture, balancing its flavor with plenty of sugar and acid when needed.
Here are three ways to make avocado work for your sweet tooth, from Food Network Kitchen:
Avocado Ice Cream (pictured above): This no-churn ice cream made with sweetened condensed milk is smooth, creamy and perfect as a summer dessert when served with fresh berries.
Avocado Pie: Avocados, sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese combine to create a rich filling for this easy-to-make pie. Lime and lemon juices are added for freshness before the filling is poured into a crunchy graham cracker crust to set.
Ultra-Creamy Avocado Smoothie: This simple smoothie dessert is a nod to more complex avocado custards. The sweetened condensed milk adds sugar and body to the cool dessert.
Tune in to Chopped Junior on Tuesdays at 8|7c.