Is there a better dessert than chocolate mousse? Well, I might have a thing; coffee flavoured chocolate mousse! My parents used to make a coffee chocolate mousse at diner parties, but their version includes eggs and whipping cream if I am not mistaken. Since I try to eat mostly vegan, I wanted to make a vegan version, and when I was in the Ekoplaza and saw this silken tofu which said that it was perfect for chocolate mousse, I couldn’t resist.

This version of a chocolate mouse is more like an indulgent chocolate pot. It is not aerated, so it isn’t fluffy and light, but more rich and indulgent. However, the nutritional values aren’t that bad (see below). Basing this on silken tofu means it contains about 10% protein and the dark chocolate contains healthy antioxidants (that is how I sell it to myself if I eat lots of it ;)). You can make this with just artificial sweeteners if you want to cut back on the carbs, but I prefer to use a mix of sugar and sweeteners to find a balance between cutting back on sugars while preventing an artificial taste.

For me, I find that I like to divide this recipe over three glasses, than each serving is about 200 calories. However, you can of course make this into two larger servings, or split it up into four servings or layer it with vegan whip, raspberries and any decorations of your choice!

Ingredients for 2-4 servings (depending on your apatite)

• 200 grams of silken tofu (I used the Taifun brand from the Ekoplaza), room temperature*
• 70 grams of 72% dark chocolate
• 20 grams of sugar or syrup, for example maple syrup (or more to taste)*
  • I also added three crushed artificial sweeteners, the kind you would dispense into your coffee
• One stick of instant espresso
• A pinch of salt
• Optional, chocolate covered coffee beans (or what we have in the Netherlands, coffee bean shaped mocha flavoured chocolates)

*see notes below

Instructions

1. Break up the chocolate and melt in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, then 20, then 10. Repeat heating it at 10 second intervals, stirring in between*
2. In a food processor, add your silken tofu, maple syrup (or other sweetener), the instant espresso and salt.
3. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides, blend again
4. Add your melted chocolate and blend quickly to form a (quite liquidy) chocolate mixture
5. Divide over 2 to 4 glasses and place in the fridge until set (about 3-4 hours)
6. Decorate and serve!

Notes

Working with chocolate can be finicky. The exact melting temperature of your chocolate will vary based on the amount of cocoa, but generally dark chocolate will melt around (45 – 48°C). For this recipe, you do not need to worry about tempering, so heating it to a higher temperature is not a problem, but heating chocolate in the microwave for long bursts has a risk of burning the chocolate due to the fact that the microwaves aren’t distributed equally throughout the chocolate.

Once you have your melted chocolate, and let it cool down a bit, you want to add it to your tofu mixture. It is important now that the tofu is not fridge-cold, since this will cause the temperature of the chocolate to drop, setting it. This will prevent the chocolate from blending into a smooth mousse.

Feel free to add artificial sweeteners or other (powdered) sweeteners. I don’t think maple syrup is necessary, but it is easy to blend. Other good options would be powdered sugar or corn syrup. If you want to use an artificial sweetener, don’t use 20 grams, but scale according to the sweetener of your choice.

Nutritional information