Chocolate Mousse - With A Twist

When I was a teenager, I used to make chocolate mousse the old-fashioned way with beaten egg whites, egg yolks and whipped cream.  So so rich and heavy.  My go-to chocolate dessert these days is Nigella's choc pots, made in minutes.  But I once made a version with avocado, for friends who were being vegans for five minutes.  It was delicious actually!  And this one is similarly surprising and delicious.  

Last year I did my annual cooking class pilgrimage with Princess Pia, a ring-in for Ms. M who had to fly back home due to a family emergency, and thus sadly missed out on the class.  We drove down to the Northern Rivers area, just over the Queensland border, where we attended one of the wonderful classes held by Belinda Jeffery.  Belinda is a cook, writer, and ex-tv presenter, amongst her many talents.  Her classes are always fun and educational.  We made this surprising recipe in class, and we all loved it.  I've made some tiny changes to her recipe, by adding some spice, and a toffee nut topping rather than the praline she suggests.          


Serves 8:


ingredients:


600g. silken tofu

320g. dark chocolate - 70% Lindt is a good choice, or your fave

2-3 tbs maple syrup or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

a big pinch of cinnamon (optional)


Nut topping:


125g. slivered and/or flaked almonds

25g. butter

1 tbs golden syrup

a pinch of sea salt

a big dash of ground cinnamon - 1/8 tsp perhaps


Method:


Drain the tofu in a large sieve over a bowl

Melt the chocolate - either in the microwave (easy-peasy) or in a bowl over simmering water on the cooktop, and let it cool slightly

The tofu, maple syrup, and vanilla (and optional cinnamon) go into a food processor; add the chocolate and whiz till smooth (will only take seconds)

Spoon into 8 ramekins or a large bowl if you wish, and refrigerate till cold (mine went thick instantly)

Put all the topping ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium-low heat

Stir for five minutes, and watch carefully - it is so easy to burn this

When cooled down, put some topping onto each of the ramekins

Pour on a dash of cream when serving, if you fancy


Notes:


Make sure you buy silken tofu, not the firm stuff

Belinda suggests using a stick blender in a tall jug for the mixing part if you don't have a food processor

Her recipe calls for an almond praline on top, but I used the topping from Chelsea Winter's coffee cake that I made and blogged recently

ingredients gathered

ready for whizzing

looking splendidly rich and chocolatey

ready for the fridge

stir and stir and stir - for 5 minutes

add the cinnamon and you get this glorious golden colour 

nutty topping

I'm digging in:-)

artwork © Sherry's Pickings