If you are adventurous with food or love avocados, this is the top recipe I recommend in my “5 Avocado Dishes from 5 Countries” series. Avocado-quark creme is a German avocado pudding with raspberries, and it was simply scrumptious. The final dessert plating reminded me of something out of The Grand Budapest Hotel film by Wes Anderson, which is a huge compliment. By this, I mean that my avocado-quark creme was a lovely, delicate shade of green, and its perfect consistency looked so appetizing beneath a layer of crunchy almonds and fresh, glazed raspberries. It looks too good to be true, but I can attest that it tastes, in fact, as good as it looks!

I am loving experimenting with avocados for this series. Although I knew they were used in desserts and sweet treats around the world, I think I underestimated the mighty fruit. Avocado-quark creme is made from avocado, quark (or farmer’s cheese in America), lemon, creme fraiche, sugar, lemon, raspberry, and raspberry jam. I received this recipe from Anna, who resides in Southern Germany in a small town near Munich. Anna tells us that avocados do not grow in Germany, so when they started popping up in grocery markets about 20 years ago, no one knew what to do with them. As a result, many Germans don’t like avocados–including Anna’s mother. However, avocado-quark creme seems to be a notable exception. When Anna’s uncle brought this dessert to a family gathering some years ago, everyone simply loved it–even her mother!

I must say that I agree with Anna’s mom. Avocado-quark creme blew my mind. It tasted like a lemony cheesecake, and you can’t even taste the avocado! The pudding solidified a bit after I plated it, giving it a lovely, thick texture that helped showcase the flavors beautifully. As well, the sliced almonds provided a satisfying crunch in this soft dish, and the raspberries were a perfect pop of fresh tartness atop the avocado goodness. 

In short, Germany–you’ve dazzled me! This sweet, tangy, fruity dessert had my mouth watering. And if you don’t have access to quark (also known as farmer’s cheese), you can replace it with Greek yogurt or ricotta. These textures will maintain the velvety final product nicely, and you, too, can enjoy avocado-quark creme as much as I did!