CEiMB: Dark Chocolate Mousse

I think I may be alone in this, especially when my gender is taken into consideration, but I really don’t care for chocolate. Let me take that back. I like it every now and then, but it isn’t something I go crazy over. Now, if we want to talk about someone who goes crazy for chocolate, let’s talk about my stepdad. He goes CRAZY for chocolate. Hershey’s chocolate, specifically. Weird specification, I know. There are a lot of weird things about him and his chocolate actually. He prefers the bars but is just as content eating “silver bells” (known to most of the world as Hershey’s Kisses). He is such a fan of this particular brand of chocolate in fact, he has a tattoo of a “silver bell” on his shoulder. I promise you I would not kid about something this absurd; I wouldn’t have even been able to think up such a thing. I can only imagine the look on the tattoo artists’ face when a middle aged man came in to the shop and requested a Hershey’s Kiss tattoo. I’m pretty sure my stepdad is the only member of my family not embarrassed by his tattoo. But, to know him is to love him… and to understand that this tattoo fits him perfectly.

Ryan is also a chocolate-lover though not quite to that extent. When we get candy, it’s very obvious whose is whose – mine is something sour, his is chocolate. If we order desserts at a restaurant, mine is fruity, his is chocolate. This pattern never fails. It’s a good system though because it means he never wants any of what I have, and I never want any of what he has. No fighting over the last bite. The only time this does present a problem is when it comes to making desserts or sweets at home. If we make something chocolatey, I will have one serving and be done. If we make something fruity, he will probably not have any. Either way, one of us ends up with nothing while the other ends up with a lot of something to eat in a short period of time, and since it’s just the two of us it’s hard to compromise and make something for each of us.

When I saw this week’s CEiMB pick and the week it fell on, I had the perfect plan! We were supposed to be hosting a dinner with friends last Friday night so I planned to make this chocolate mousse and Ellie’s lemon bars for dessert. While I can’t justify two desserts for two people, certainly with six people it would be preferable. Sadly, the weather had other ideas. We got what is considered quite a blizzard here in GA; I think we ended up with nearly four inches in some areas. Considering the city normally shuts down for flurries, you can imagine what several inches did. Yikes! And so, my dinner party was not to be. Even though I didn’t get my lemon bars (yet!!), I did make the chocolate mousse for Ryan and I to share. He had a particularly rough day earlier this week, so it was a nice treat for him to come home to.

I cannot believe how quickly and easily this dessert came together. I mean, seriously, it took less than ten minutes to put together. That is a definite pro, if we’re going to make a list. The “secret” ingredient for this recipe is tofu which didn’t bother me or Ryan which was surprising. I’ve never worked with silken tofu before, only firm, so that took a little adjustment on my part. I kind of prefer the way the firm tofu is, well, firm and comes out in a block as opposed to a slop that leaves pieces all over the side of my blender and counter. Really, once you add the chocolate and blend it all together, it looks like runny pudding so the texture of the tofu was no longer an issue. When I first poured it into the ramekins, I wasn’t sure how it would ever firm up, but an hour later, it was set.

More pros: I really liked the texture, and Ryan loved the taste. It was really chocolatey and rich without feeling gluttonous. At the same time, it didn’t taste diet or light. The con: It just tasted sort of off to me. I’m guessing that the tofu caused this, but I can’t really place what the “off” flavor was. It just wasn’t quite right. I ate one serving, but Ryan ate the other three so obviously it was a hit for some. In the end, I’m still looking forward to making the lemon bars, but I would happily make this for Ryan again since he enjoyed it so much and it was a cinch to make. If you have a sweet tooth and a preference for chocolate, give it a try! Thanks to Laura at Edible Ventures for such a great choice!

Dark Chocolate Mousse

16 ounces silken tofu, drained
4 ounces semisweet chocolate squares, finely chopped
⅓ cup cocoa
⅓ cup water
4 teaspoons dark rum
⅔ cups sugar

In a blender, puree the tofu until it is smooth.

Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, water and brandy in a saucepan. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.

Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Top each serving with whipped cream and serve.

Source: Ellie Krieger’s “The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life”, p. 301
4 servings