Mexican Chocolate Mousse

Mousse was never my favorite dessert. It has no texture, no crunch. There's nothing to chew on. It is the definition of baby food. It doesn't help that when I see "mousse" on a page, it takes my brain half a second to process the fact that dessert, not a rodent, is at issue. So I am never drawn to it when I eat out (back in the day when that was still a thing!) as I am when I read gateau, truffle, or kaju burfi. 

Don't get me wrong, I've never said no to mousse, because I can never avoid the exit to Dessert-town. I oblige if mousse finds its way to me, but I have never made the effort to go looking for it. I have always been too squeamish to try making mousse at home, knowing that it calls for raw eggs. 

I just had one of those days when you are done with dinner but it feels like something is missing in your life, and it is a hole that only dessert can fill.  I didn't have much time, what with having to brush teeth (not my own), put a family of stuffed toys to sleep, and read an ungodly number of bed time stories. Like Batman, my NYT cooking app came to the rescue and I searched for 15 min desserts. The one that came up first was for Mexican Chocolate Pudding/Mousse. Surprisingly, it called not for eggs, but for a package of silken tofu. It just so happened that I had a package sitting in my fridge as if it were seeking an audition. This recipe has two things that are most attractive to me -- an intriguing ingredient list, and the ability to put forgotten things to use.

I didn't have the cinnamon powder called for at hand. I used a few drops of almond extract instead. But the cinnamon could be a nice touch to add an extra layer of flavor. I also skipped the chili powder as one of the diners was a tiny person yet unfamiliar with spice, but also worth adding I think. Because I am impatient, I put the mousse in the freezer for a short time instead of in the fridge for 30 minutes as the recipe requires.

We really liked it. There is a lightness to this mousse because it is mostly water, not fat. I didn't miss the fat. There is the slightest hint of tofu, but with all that vanilla extract and other flavorings, it really wasn't easy to detect. This felt like an indulgence that left me feeling not guilty, but a little bit virtuous. Like bunking school but still getting a pat from the teacher, like binge watching Netflix but still getting all your chores done. 

I used chocolate chips as that is all I had. I was not going to get out of my pajamas and go to the grocery next door to get fancy chocolate. But when you have only a handful of ingredients, there's nowhere for them to hide. So it's probably worth getting the best chocolate you can find. One of the readers used orange liqueur, which certainly can't hurt. This is one for the recipe book, specifically in the chapter for visiting vegan friends. 

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (from The New York Times)

1 pound silken tofu (1 standard pack)

8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted (microwave or double boiler method, better not to melt directly on the stove)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (I skipped. Not sure I would go all the way, but a touch may be nice)

½ teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

 Chocolate shavings (optional)

PREPARATION

Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.