Best Easiest Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Best Easiest Vegan Chocolate Mousse

1 cup aquafaba

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup granulated (white) sugar

300 grams vegan dark chocolate

Beat the aquafaba, salt, and lemon juice together either in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld mixer. I highly recommend a stand mixer if you have one; as you will be able to multitask a the same time. If not wear some earplugs and be prepared to mix for awhile. This beating process can take up to fifteen minutes, especially with larger batches, though I find it starts to get quite thick around five.

Beat until it forms the equivalent of soft peaks of egg whites, then gradually beat in the sugar until stiff peaks form.

Meanwhile, while whipping mixture, melt the chocolate until smooth and allow it to cool slightly. Gently fold the cooled chocolate into the stiff whipped mixture. Mousse is now ready to eat However, the mousse will actually set more and thicken after being chilled in the fridge (individual ramekins or parfait glasses work great for this). The mousse will actually keep quite well for a few days.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

• Vegan dark chocolate mousse
• Vegan dark chocolate sauce
• Vegan meringue
• Fresh fruit garnish

Vegan chocolate mousse and meringue are so easy to make, and you'd be surprised at their secret ingredient! Also shocking is the richness of the mousse and how well it holds up But you have to try it to believe it!

Chocolate Banana Soft Serve

Chocolate Banana Soft Serve
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1+ Tablespoons hot water
2 frozen overripe bananas

Mix together the butter and cocoa. Stir in the vanilla, icing sugar, and coffee mixed with hot water. Stir in enough hot water to make a thick icing consistency. Blend together with the bananas until smooth. Cover and freeze until firm.

This is a super easy ice-cream like dessert. Simply chilled or semi-frozen it makes a good mousse dessert. It is by no means a real ice cream, but it is smooth, creamy, and refreshing. The trick is to begin with a base that is similar to a fudge frosting. It does not require an ice cream maker nor does it need to be stirred at all during the freezing process.

Deconstructed Banoffee Pie

This random dessert creation is the result of me being given four ingredients: chocolate, sugar, bananas, and sweetened condensed milk. My first thought was - banoffee pie! But to make it quicker, easier, and more interesting I made a deconstructed version. 

Components
Chocolate banana mousse
Dark chocolate sand
Dulce de leche ganache
Coconut cream
Chocolate caramel salted pretzels
Chocolate caramel candies

I chose to plate it in a shallow bowl, with a base of chocolate banana mousse, dulce de leche ganache swirled in a circle, dark chocolate sand sprinkled in the center of the bowl, coconut cream on top, and chocolate caramel salted pretzels and candies randomly around.

Magic Coffee Mousse

Magic Coffee Mousse
one part instant coffee granules (2 Tablespoons)
two and a half parts granulated (white) sugar (5 Tablespoons)
one and a half parts water (3 Tablespoons)

Place all three ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for several minutes. The mixture will thicken, turn lighter, and then eventually form peaks, very similar to whipped cream or egg whites.

It may be used as is, chilled, frozen, or mixed with icing sugar to form a frosting. It is amazing how rich and creamy it is considering it contains no cream! The flavor of coffee can be quite strong, depending upon the type of coffee used of course, so use sparingly.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! For Mother's Day this year, I decided to combine two of my mother's favorite flavors, chocolate and coffee, into her cake. I didn't want to make a frosted, piped and decorated cake this year, so I went for something different. I would call it zuccotto-style, but certainly not a true zuccotto. Zuccotto is a semi-frozen dessert consisting of cake, liquor, a cream filling, and usually a glaze. It is a dome-shape.

For this cake, I baked two eight inch round moist chocolate cake layers. Once cool, I pressed one into a plastic-wrap lined bowl. I filled it with a coffee cream filling, then topped it with the other cake layer. I froze it to firm the filling, then inverted it onto a plate. I glazed it with a simple chocolate glaze, and decorated it with chocolate truffles, and coffee icing.

Salmon Mousse

Salmon Mousse
500 grams salmon fillets/scraps, poached in red wine, water, star anise, cloves, parsley
1 cup fish veloute (fish stock thickened with a white roux and seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 leaves of gelatin, softened
5 Tablespoons hot stock
1 cup cold whipped cream
salt, pepper, and dill to taste
aspic
mussels

Poach the salmon in the liquid until just cooked. Strain, break into pieces and place in a food processor with the veloute (both can be hot). Process until combined.
Dissolve the gelatin in the hot stock, then stir into the salmon mixture. Fold in the cream. Season to taste.
Pour a thin layer of aspic in the bottom of each mold, and place two mussels in. Top with the salmon mousse. Chill until firm, then unmold.

Best Easiest Vegan Chocolate Mousse

I have talked about aquafaba before - simply the liquid from a can of beans or from cooking beans (most commonly chickpeas, but any beans tend to work). It is the vegan alternative to egg whites for meringue, pavlovas, marshmallow fluff, and extra body to baked goods. It magical how adding a little chocolate to is makes a rich and decadent mousse, which is, in my opinion, even better than traditional chocolate mousse as it still has all that air and richness, without the fattiness of dairy. 

This mousse can be considered healthy if you cut back on sugar. The amount of sugar you use depends upon your personal tastes and the percentage of dark chocolate you use. Unfortunately, I have not yet found success with sugar alternatives such as maple syrup, agave, or fruit purees. 

Best Easiest Vegan Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup aquafaba
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
50 grams dark chocolate (I used 90%)

Beat the aquafaba, vanilla, and cream of tartar together either in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld mixer. I highly recommend a stand mixer if you have one; if not do like me and prop your handheld mixer up on some tins or a bowl, as your hand will get tired and your ears will get sore. This beating process can take up to ten minutes, though I find it starts to get quite thick around five.

Beat until it forms the equivalent of soft peaks of egg whites, then gradually beat in the sugar until stiff peaks form.

Meanwhile, while whipping mixture, melt the chocolate until smooth and allow it to cool slightly. Gently fold the cooled chocolate into the stiff whipped mixture. Mousse is now ready to eat! I am unsure if it holds in the refrigerator - my batch did not last long enough to test that theory; however I have read that whipped aquafaba does tend to deflate in the refrigerator, but can be rewhipped. Not sure how chocolate affects this.

Trio Of Dark Chocolate Mousses

I LOVE chocolate mousse. It's definitely one of my all-time favorite desserts. I could (and have) eaten eight servings in one day. It's delicious. So I decided to take my basic chocolate mousse recipe and upscale it - create a trio of chocolate mousses; three different flavors, three different textures, three different temperatures, and three different garnishes. What a success! This is the perfect dessert for sharing if you are feeling generous, or if you're like me, you'll devour it all yourself. 

For the frozen mocha chocolate mousse with mocha drizzle:

2 Tablespoons coffee (any variety)

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons icing sugar

chopped toasted nuts

For the caramel chocolate mousse with caramel filigree:

½ cup granulated (white) sugar

¼ cup water

For the hot chili chocolate mousse soufflé with spiced cream quenelle:

½ teaspoon chili powder

Tablespoons whipped cream

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the frozen mocha chocolate mousse: Whisk one teaspoon coffee into about 1/3 cup of the chocolate mousse. Line a small dish or mold with plastic wrap and spread the mousse into it. Freeze immediately for at least an hour.

For the mocha chocolate glaze, whisk together the remaining coffee, cocoa, and sugar until smooth.

For the caramel chocolate mousse: Heat the sugar and water over low heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches 310°F. Using a fork or spoon, randomly drizzle some caramel onto a steel work surface and once it hardens, immediately gather it up into a nest or ball. Drizzle some caramel on the inside of a wine or martini glass and allow to set.

For the hot chili chocolate mousse soufflé: Whisk the chili powder into about ¼ cup of the chocolate mousse. Spoon or pipe mixture into a small ramekin. Bake at 400°F for six minutes until risen and outside is firm.

To serve: Decorate the plate with dots of leftover caramel and mocha drizzle. Drag a skewer through to create hearts. 

Pipe the chocolate mousse into the martini glass, place the caramel filigree on top, and place in the center of a rectangular plate.

Unmold the frozen chocolate mousse, place to the right of the mousse, drizzle with glaze, and sprinkle with nuts.

Place a quenelle of whipped cream on top of the baked mousse soufflé, then sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Place to the left on the plate.

Base Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Base Chocolate Mousse

85 grams dark chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

37 grams unsalted butter

3 large eggs, separated

37 grams granulated (white) sugar

Melt the chocolate, cocoa, and butter in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form, then whisk in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in the egg yolks. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the eggs, then chill until set. If you want it to set more quickly, chill it in a shallow metal bowl in the freezer.

This is a yummy dark chocolate mousse recipe that always turns out - even if ingredient amounts are slightly off, your egg whites have a trace of yolk, or whatever. I am sure milk or semi-sweet chocolate could be used instead if preferred. This is the base of a lot of great dessert potential. Or just eat it my favorite way - as is (I don't even both to chill it first). It is rich and creamy. 

This recipe can easily be doubled (six eggs), quadrupled (twelve eggs), or multiplied by eight (24 eggs). I always look at how many eggs when dividing the recipe. I suppose you could third it as well (one egg), but why would you want to? This basically only makes one portion as it is (ok, it's probably more like 2-4 if you aren't crazy for chocolate mousse like me, but still). 

Tune in tomorrow for a trio using my base recipe.

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse
one cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 1/3 cups ground hazelnuts
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup coffee
2 cups whipping (35%) cream, whipped until stiff

Cream the butter to soften, then cream in the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the nuts, chocolate, and coffee. Fold in the whipped cream. Chill, or spread onto a cake, cookies, cupcakes, or wherever desired. It can also be chilled then scooped into a piping bag and piped.

For different flavor variations, use a different type of chocolate (milk, white, orange dark, etc.) and different varieties of coffees, and different ground nuts.

I used this mousse as the filling for my Charlotte Russe au Chocolat. I chilled it first to firm it up a bit, then spread it on the spongecake base.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Okay, I know, avocado and chocolate mousse don't seem like two things that would go together well, however, using avocado and other healthy fruits and vegetables has become popular in an array of desserts lately. Avocado is particularly great for it's smooth and creamy texture, reminiscent of butter. It adds fat, but it is all monounsaturated, heart-healthy fats. The flavor also isn't particularly strong, though it does add some sweetness. Avocados have been used successfully in brownies and chocolate puddings as well - the chocolate helps to mask the green color. Additionally, this mousse can be vegan and is a much healthier alternative to regular chocolate mousse; you can also make it as low in sugar as you wish.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse
2 large ripe avocados
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
agave nectar, to sweeten

Blend all together until smooth. Add as much agave as you'd like to sweeten it, and as much milk as you'd like to create a smooth texture.


SUBSTITUTIONS
- Cocoa powder - substitute melted chocolate, any kind, for a richer flavor
- Coconut milk - substitute your favorite non-dairy or dairy milk
- Vanilla - use your favorite flavoring; try almond extract or ground cinnamon
- Agave nectar - you can use honey, maple syrup, or molasses for a slightly different flavor. Sugar works as well for a neutral flavor but the texture will not be as smooth and possibly gritty, unless you use superfine or confectioners' sugar.

Charlotte Russe Malakoff Au Chocolat

Here is the dessert I decided to make for the second European buffet. I wanted to do a dessert (of course, I would do a dessert everyday but I figure I should learn to do some savory foods as well and expand beyond my comfort zone, plus we have two days in each region), and I wanted to do something not so simple. Something extravagant that I had never done before. And what better for a dessert than something classical French.

I settled on making a Charlotte, something I had never made, seen, or eaten in person. For those unfamiliar, a Charlotte is a dessert, often classified as a cake, trifle, or icebox cake. There are, of course much like anything, many variations on this dessert. It consists of a base, either cookie, cake or bread used for lining the mold, and may also contain more layers of this. The filling is typically a mousse, custard, or gelatin. Charlottes may be decorated with fruit, additional cookies, chocolate, whipped cream, nuts, and more. There are several famous types of Charlottes. A Charlotte Russe, invented by Marie-Antoine Carme and named for famous royals, consists of Bavarian cream and ladyfingers; whereas a Charlotte Royale is lined with swiss roll instead.

I did not choose to do an exact, classical Charlotte version, but I got the base of my recipe from "The Art of French Cooking" book by Julia Child, so I figured it would be pretty authentic and successful.

I choose to use ladyfingers as my outside lining for the mold, a chocolate spongecake for the base, and Malakoff au chocolate for the filling, which is a chocolate almond mousse, but I substituted hazelnuts instead (because it reminds me of nutella). I decorated my Charlotte with chocolate whipped cream and dipped the ladyfingers in dark chocolate on one end and white chocolate on the other end.

My Charlotte did not turn out exactly as I had envisioned (just search the internet for pictures of 'Charlotte cake'. The main issue was the ladyfinger batter - I don't think the egg whites were quite stiff enough as the batter was too thin too pipe into the classic ladyfinger shape, so I ended up having to just spread it onto a sheet pan, bake it, then slice into rectangles. It doesn't give the same form of a classical Charlotte, but the taste is equivalent and I think my presentation is nice nevertheless.

Maple Pecan Brownie Bomb

Maple Pecan Brownie
1/4 cup unsalted butter
scant 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 large egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Spiced Dark Chocolate Mousse
85 grams dark chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon dark cocoa powder
37 grams unsalted butter
3 large eggs, separated
37 grams granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons chocolate chili powder

Caramel Crunch Candy
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup water

Caramel Web
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar

White Chocolate Maple Ganache
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
scant 1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Begin with the BROWNIE. Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease two small (four inch) fluted tart pan or similar mold.
Melt the butter and cocoa over low heat. Beat the egg, then beat in the maple syrup. Whisk in the cocoa mixture, then the flour and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes, cool slightly, unmold, then poke lightly with the tines of a fork. Pour a little extra maple syrup over top and allow the brownies to absorb it. Cool completely.

Move on to the MOUSSE. Melt the chocolate, cocoa, and butter in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then whisk in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in the egg yolks. Mix the chili into the chocolate mixture, then whisk this into the eggs. Chill until set, or chill in the freezer to speed up the process.

Next make up the CARAMEL CRUNCH CANDY. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over low heat until mixture hardens. Stir it to form separate chunks, then set it aside to cool slightly.

For the CARAMEL WEB heat the sugar over very low heat until it is melted and golden. Set aside to cool slightly until barely cool enough to handle. Once cool, pull off long, thing strands. 

Meanwhile, make the WHITE CHOCOLATE MAPLE GANACHE by heating the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Stir in the maple syrup, then set aside to cool and thicken slightly.

To assemble: Spread some chocolate mousse on a plate in the shape of a star. Place the brownie in the center. Drizzle the entire plate with the ganache. Garnish with the candy. Place the caramel web strands on top of the brownie to form a nest. Garnish with additional pecans if desired.

Petite Parfait

Not too long ago I whipped up two quick, petitie individual parfaits. I don't know if they exactly qualify as a parfait, as they were not really layered in a tall dish, but rather in a small heart-shaped bowl, but that was all for presentation and sentimental purposes. The parfait mixture was relatively simple - mostly plain, fat free Greek yogurt, a spoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, a dollop of creamed honey, a dab of smooth natural peanut butter, and a hint of vanilla extract. This made a quick and relatively healthy chocolate mousse. It isn't sweet and airy like a regular chocolate mousse, but takes a fraction of the time and a fraction of the cost to make, and is probably much better for you. It certainly is a perfectly acceptable substitute. Then I dressed up the mousse with some leftover chocolate shapes and shavings, a few fresh raspberries, and I piped "I love you" on the parfaits with a little leftover simple sugar icing I had.

This is a perfect small and light dessert to end off a heavier meal or to enjoy late at night when you just need a small chocolate fix. The mousse recipe is quick to make if you have all ingredients on hand and you may make as much or as little as needed. It is very versatile and can be dressed up with fresh fruit, nuts, cake, cookies, etc. In addition, you can control how 'dark' chocolate the mousse is by the amount of cocoa and honey used. Alternately, maple syrup or agave nectar could be used instead of honey without much flavor change. 

Quick Chocolate Mousse

Quick Chocolate Mousse
1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients together until fluffy and stiff.

That's it! This doesn't require gradually beating in sugar or beating eggs or melting chocolate like most mousse recipes. It can also be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but may not be as fluffy and may need to rewhipped briefly. This is an incredible versatile recipe and can be eaten as is, piped on cakes, filled into cream puffs, used as garnishes, put into crêpes, piled onto ice cream, etc. This is a small recipe, but quantities are easily adjusted. This is more of a dark chocolate, decadent mousse, so add more sugar if you would prefer. 

Chocolate Croquembouche

Croquembouche, or croque-en-bouche, which directly translated from French means "crunch in the mouth" is essentially a tower of cream puffs stuck together with caramel "glue". It is also sometimes called a choux tree, which is not a shoe tree, but choux referring to the pastry dough that makes the base of cream puffs. Croquembouche is a popular dessert in France and Italy, and is especially common at weddings. This tower can be made as simple or as elaborate as desired, it all depends on how big it is made and how fancily it is decorated, which of course depends on the number of cream puffs used. Any type of cream puffs may be used - large, mini, plain, chocolate; and any type of filling - cream, mousse, fruit, etc. I think a tower with a mixture of plain and chocolate cream puffs would be cool, but traditionally only one flavor is used on each tower. Just google some pictures and you'll find some amazingly pretty creations that will make you drool!

Croquembouche has been on my list of things I would like to make for a while now. I realize that it is somewhat elaborate and tedious, and I thought I would have a good period of time to make it. Turns out I had to complete everything in the span of about forty minutes. No problem, right? Well sort of, since cream puffs need to be cool to be filled with a mousse, and it's difficult to stack warm cream puffs, and they take about twenty minutes to bake. But using some shortcuts, and slightly sacrificing the elaborateness of this dish, I did pull it off with help.

I began immediately with whipping up the cream puff dough and baking it. I made them quite mini so they would bake and cool faster, and were baked within fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, the chocolate mousse was whipped up. Once the cream puffs were baked, they were placed in the freezer to cool as quickly as possible. However, they were still too warm (and too tiny) to fill with the mousse filling (basically chocolate whipped cream), which is why some mousse was piped and piled on top, and beginning to melt a little. Extra mousse was provided for dipping of course. Now to actually assemble the tower. I whipped up some light caramel on the stove, and dipped the cream puffs in the hot caramel so they would stick together. Since the tower was relatively small, only containing about thirty cream puffs or so, I didn't use a cone base for support, and didn't plan out the structure, I just stuck the cream puffs together. Then I drizzled a little extra caramel over top. The picture isn't great, and doesn't really do the mini tower justice, but I am happy with the result considering the time period I had and it being my first attempt at this dessert!