Death by Chocolate Mousse

I won't bother you with a lot of chatter, because once you lay eyes on this dessert, all you'll hear is the rumbling of your tummy. This mousse has caused a ruckus in our house as we've been fighting to lick the bowls, spatula, anything that it's come into contact with. This mousse is from Peter Berley's book: The Modern Vegetarian, which I encourage all of you to buy if you are leaning towards a plant-based diet. There is an unusual ingredient that you may have never used before (agar-agar), but it's simply a vegetarian version of gelatin (made from animal bones), and if you're feeling anxious, there's some helpful info here on how to use it. Don't be put off by using new ingredients, as it will lead to wonderful experimentation in the kitchen for future dessert-making!

Chocolate Mousse

2 (14oz) cans coconut milk (full fat)

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp Sucanat (evaporated sugar cane juice - you can also use unrefined sugar)

1/2 cup agar flakes

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

3/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

In a saucepan over high heat, combine the coconut milk, Sucanat, agar flakes, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the agar dissolves (you can test this by checking your spoon after each stir: if you still see little "flakes" of agar, keep cooking it until you don't see anymore flakes).

In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and arrowroot until smooth. Whisk into the saucepan and simmer for 1 minute, or until the mousse thickens.

Pour the mousse into a large heatproof dish and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Once cool enough, put into the fridge for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Transfer the chilled mousse to a food processor and puree until creamy.

Serve chilled in individual cups or wine glasses.

Comments

[Hiskia]

mmmmm, looks good!