Gulp, it’s Friday the 13th!  But this time around that means that it’s also Valentine’s Day Eve , so I was thinking that a Friday chocolate repeat would be okay (we made Double Chocolate cookies last week…). Plus, I’ve been wanting to try making Chocolate Mousse with tofu for a too long now and this is as good an occasion as it gets.

A few years ago, Paul and I were at a friend’s in New Paltz, NY, at one of the healthier dinner parties I’ve attended, hosted by a professional triathlete and her athletically gifted husband.  I couldn’t imagine what would be served for dessert, but of course I wondered about it incessantly as we tidied up after the first courses.  When our hostess presented little ramekins of what appeared to be something chocolatey, I was intrigued, and when I tasted it, delighted and impressed.  Knowing that in this household there was likely a healthy ingredient substitute in play, I whispered to Paul, ‘what do you think this is’.  He shrugged between bites and said, ‘Probably tofu’.  Ah-HA!

At long last, I have dove into some research and a trial.  The verdict?  Delicious, easy to make, and as you would expect, on the lighter side of traditional mousses, which call for butter and creme (and can taste fabulous, don’t get me wrong!).  I do think that this is more of a mousse/pudding hybrid, because one of the things that makes mousse mousse is airiness, which is created with eggs, which this dish omits.  However I would venture to guess that anyone who loves mousse can more than put up with pudding, especially one that errs on the side of mousse!  What’s not to love:

Like more traditional mousses, this one boils down to melted chocolate incorporated into a creamy base.  A double boiler, which can be very easily created with kitchen basics, is what’s used for the melting.  A food processor or blender accomplishes the final transformation.

On double boilers: yes, you can buy pots with double boiler-specific functions, and if you have one, let me know your favorite recipes because double boiler recipes always look particularly mouth-watering and special-occasion.   If you don’t have one, wait, actually you do.  A double boiler is just a way to heat something indirectly.  Set a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water et voila! You have a double boiler.

If you get a lucky fit like this one, great, but it’s completely fine if the bowl is larger and sticks up past the edge of the pot.  The heating forces at hand are exactly the same.

So assuming your dinner isn’t going to be a one-ramekin wonder, let’s now stop talking and get to creating this finishing dish!  It can be made ahead by one day btw.

Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse:

Time: 1 Hour, 20 minutes

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes

Kitchen Equipment: Food Processor or Blender, heat proof bowl, cooking pot, mixing bowl, metal strainer, rubber spatula.

Makes 3-4 Servings

Ingredients: 

– 4 & 1/2 Oz Dark Chocolate with 70% Cocoa Content, broken into pieces

– 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

– 1/4 Cup Water

– 2 Tbsp Port or Grand Marnier

– 1 Tbsp Almond Milk

– 1/3 Cup Sugar

– 1 & 1/4 Cup Silken Tofu

Steps: 

– Set the metal strainer over a mixing bowl, then place the tofu in the strainer to remove excess liquid (I didn’t have as perfect a fit with this set up!)

– Place your double boiler on the stove top and set the water to simmer.  The measurement of water is simply that it’s enough so your pot won’t burn, but not so much that it’s touching the bowl.

– Add the chocolate bar and powder, almond milk, sugar, water and Port to the bowl and leave to slowly melt, stirring occasionally.

– When the chocolate mixture is melted, remove the tofu from the strainer and blend in the food processor so that it becomes completely smooth, 30 seconds – one minute.

– Then, using a pot holder remove the bowl from the double burner and add the chocolate mixture to the processor, using a rubber spatula to scrape out every last drop.

– To begin to incorporate, plus the processor 15-30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the processor or blender with the spatula and repeat 2-3 times until the tofu and chocolate are evenly mixed.

– Pour the mixture into serving dishes and refrigerate to set at least one hour.  Can be made ahead by one day and covered in the fridge.

Garnish with fruit, including if you like a little orange zest.  Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Note: Recipe adapted from Hungry Foodies Pharmacy.