Dark Chocolate Mousse (CEiMB)

This week was an extra special Craving Ellie in My Belly week for me, since it was my turn to pick the recipe!  What an honor.  Since we started the week with Valentine's Day, it seemed fitting to choose something chocolate.  (Oh who am I kidding, I would probably have chosen something chocolate anyway).

This is Ellie's take on chocolate mousse.  It's a very smooth, almost pudding-ish mousse.  But it is completely delicious.  I know many are skeptical of desserts containing tofu, but have no fear, if you use good quality chocolate and you top it with a little home-made whipped cream, you seriously cannot taste the tofu in this dessert.

I tend to tweak the recipes a bit, but this week I stayed true to the recipe, since I felt it was my duty as the hostess.  The only change I made was to use whiskey instead of brandy, since it was what I had on hand.  Some ideas I saw online were to use orange liqueur or mint extract, which I think would be delicious too, but would make this mousse taste less purely chocolatey.

Chocolate mousse is pretty much a crowd-pleaser, and this version is no exception.  Whether you make it for your special someone or for a group of guests, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, CEiMBers, for cooking along with me this week!

Dark Chocolate Mousse

from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu, drained

3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brandy (or whiskey)

1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

chocolate shavings for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Puree the silken tofu in a food processor until completely smooth.

2.  In a heat-proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (or in a double-boiler),  combine the bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, water, and brandy.  Stir frequently until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.

3.  Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu in the food processor and puree until well-combined and smooth.  You may have to stop it a few times to scrape down the sides.

4.  Pour the mousse into individual serving dishes, cover tightly, and refrigerator for at least one hour, up to three days, to set properly.  

5.  When you're going to serve,  beat the 1/4 cup heavy cream with an electric mixer until just starting to form soft peaks.  Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar, continue to beat until it is the texture of whipped cream.  Top the servings of mousse with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings (use a vegetable peeler on your chocolate bar to create shavings).  Serve.

Enjoy!