Vegan Chocolate Mousse Pie

When winter comes, I think of warm soups; when spring comes, I think of fresh asparagus and baby greens; and when my mom comes to visit, I think of…chocolate. In preparation for her visit, here's a chocolate recipe, healthy style.

My friend Sarah in Chicago reminded me of this recipe, I’ve been making it for years. It is just as decadent as the egg-and-cream original recipes, and no one has ever guessed that I make it with tofu.

There are many crust options; graham crackers (plain, cinnamon, or chocolate), wheat free ginger cookies, nuts, I’ve even used cereal before. For an interesting raw crust, soak raw almonds (7 hrs) and dates (1/2 hr), strain them; grind the almonds (& cinnamon or vanilla if you like) in a food processor and add the dates one piece at a time until you get a gooey, malleable crust (ratio almonds to dates 2:1 or even fewer dates.)

Likewise for the filling, there are many variations. Mix in some natural peanut butter, a little espresso or kahlua, orange extract or orange peel, or spread a layer of raspberry jam on the bottom. Play around!

Ingredients:

2 boxes Mori-Nu Firm silken tofu

1 bag of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (vegan choice is Tropical source)

soy, rice, or other non-dairy milk; vanilla, plain, or chocolate flavor is OK

1 box of Health Valley’s Oat Bran crackers

A few chopped almonds or pecans

a dash of cinnamon

1 T vanilla

any mild oil, coconut oil, or melted butter/margarine, 2 or 3 T.

To Make the Crust:

In blender or food processor, crumble the crackers, a few chopped almonds, and a dash of cinnamon; process until finely ground (in shifts if necessary). Pour this into a 9” pie pan, and mix it together with the melted butter or oil. Use enough oil/butter to make the crumbs come together. Press the crust on the bottom and around the sides of the pie pan. If you are using oil, you may want to bake the crust at 350 just for a few minutes so the oil has a chance to cook and bind the crust together.

To Make the Filling:

I prefer to use a blender (in batches) or a VitaMix for the creamiest texture. Add to your blender: crumbled tofu, vanilla, and enough milk to make it process smoothly. Blend until creamy and lump free. In a double boiler or small sauce pan, melt the chocolate chips with some soy milk until you have a smooth, thick chocolate sauce. Add this chocolate sauce to the tofu and blend until creamy. Taste – add honey or more chocolate if needed. If you use a good quality chocolate, it should be rich enough without adding anything more.

Pour the chocolate mousse into the room temperature crust. Refrigerate for at least three hours, or over night. It will become firm and easy to cut!

This is a great pie for Valentine’s Day.