vegan chocolate mousse + whipped cream
This recipe was inspired by two sources: PETA and Julia Child. I know they may seem diametrically opposed, but their opposition is a great illustration of my approach to food. I am vegan about half the time (though almost never outside my house, unless at a vegan restaurant). I am sympathetic to the Animal Rights cause, but I am not dogmatic about it. I talk to people about how meat tastes and how they prepare it because I am interested. I just choose not to partake. I subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated, a fairly meat-centric magazine because it has helped me improve my ability to prepare vegetables. I love Julia Child (even though she regularly brutalized lobsters on national tv) because she cared about food and wanted it to taste great (hence the butter).
So, back to the mousse. This recipe was originally a riff off of the PETA recipe for vegan chocolate pie. I had made and served that pie so many times, I had started to resent it. I was looking for something different. Then I thought about how much I enjoy a solid chocolate mousse. I decided to take the filling out of the crust, but it still needed a substantial boost in complexity. Here’s where Julia comes in. I turned to the web (as I often do in times like this) and looked up Child’s recipe. I know her mousse recipe is considered by many to be perfect. I looked for the key flavor boosters. Salt. Strong coffee. Rum. Gold.
Here is my recipe for Vegan Chocolate Mousse. This is definitely the kind of recipe that I serve at parties, and only after all the bowls are licked clean do I divulge that the main ingredient other than chocolate is tofu. Gets them every time! Because I am only dairy restricted, I recommend a dollop of whipped cream before serving. If you have vegan guests, you can leave it off. Bon appetit!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. extra firm silken tofu (Mori Nu, in a shelf-stable package)
- 1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup espresso (or 1/2 cup strong coffee)
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup rum
- 1 tablespoons vanilla
Instructions:
- Place tofu in food processor.
- Melt chocolate chips in microwave on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Heat espresso in a sauce pan over medium-high. Add sugar and stir until it is dissolved. If you are using coffee, reduce the coffee until it is 1/4 cup.
- Add remaining ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour mousse into bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
- Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
- Enjoy!
Filed under: Dessert, Vegan, Vegan Optional | 6 Comments
Tags: chocolate, dessert, julia child, mousse, vegan
veg here 
Heya Katie,
I tagged the mousse to make soon! Love the new blog! — Anna.
Interesting that you use extra-firm. I mistakenly assumed that silken would be the preferable texture. I’m definitely going to have to try this one out.
I have found that spray whipped cream, regular old grocery store variety, is sometimes mostly coconut with a little casein.
I’m not brave enough to make chocolate mousse with tofu…I heard that it has a tiny tofu taste….(and my self don’t like tofu although i’m asian). But since many vegans ‘ve made it, I’m willing to try. I have a question, is it okay to use regular block tofu? the package didn’t mention it’s silken tofu. What’s the difference anyway?
I completely understand your skepticism! I urge you to try this recipe (or another!) as you really can’t taste the tofu. However, it is critical to use the silken tofu. Here is a link: Mori Nu Silken Tofu – http://www.morinu.com/product/tofu.html#7. The silken tofu breaks down completely and becomes smooth whereas block tofu doesn’t break down in the same way. Making this recipe with block tofu might lead to a chunky texture and more of a tofu taste. Best of luck with experimentation!
I’m vegan at home and vegetarian in restaurants, too! It’s just so difficult to even go out at all if you refuse to eat something with even a little bit of milk or butter in it, but I try my best.