Boston Creme Pie a la Vegan and Raw

I’ve wanted to try a vegan mousse for some time, but have been quite reluctant to take the plunge because Ive been weary as to how it would taste.  Like ketchup on pizza, tofu in mousse just does not seem to fit.  However, Matt loves mousse, so for him I thought I would try.  Inspired by the cashew cream at Pure Food and Wine, a raw restaurant I enjoyed while in NY a couple weekends ago, I decided to give my best effort at the whole sha-bam.  A Chocolate  Mousse Pie with cashew cream.  So there I went -food processing away.  First, the mousse, then the cream and finally the crust.  No baking required.  For all you vegan skeptics – Im telling you – this dessert was mind-blowing.  As for the tofu in mousse, you would never know.  Really. Please forgive my attempt at a visual of this dessert – the photo does not do it justice. Just make it and try for yourself.  Its actually that good.

serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the Mousse

• 1 12 oz package of silken tofu
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the Cashew Cream Topping

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• agave sweetener, to taste

For the Crust

• 5-6 dates, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• cinnamon, to taste

Instructions

Mousse:  Melt the chocolate chips in a medium bowl in the microwave for about 1-2- minutes.  Stir until melted and blended.  In a food processor, blend the tofu until creamy and then add the chocolate, milk and vanilla.  Process for another 1-2 minutes until blended.  Set aside in bowl and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

Cashew Cream: In the food processor, process the cashews and water until blended.  Add the oil, agave and vanilla.  Slowly add the milk until the mixture become creamy to your liking.  Set aside in a small bowl.

Crust:  In the food processor, blend dates and nuts and add cinnamon to taste.  Process for about 1-2 minutes, just until the nuts and dates form a crumbly consistency.

Put-it-all-together:  In a pie dish, press the crust onto the bottom.  Once the mousse is chilled and thick, spread over the crust.  Top with cashew cream and fresh berries when serving.

mangia!

Raw Chocolate Mousse

This ‘raw’ version of a chocolate mousse is a healthy alternative to the very sugary, indulgent dessert. The avocado offers the creamy texture, but you would never know it was that! At first, I had a hard time understanding how avocado would work with chocolate, probably because we primarily associate avocado with guacamole.  However, I quickly realized that the avocado alone has a very mild flavor and its actually the salt and lime that transform it to the mexican dip.  Thus, I’ve learned that avocados become fantastic fruit to add creaminess to recipes.  I started with this recipe, but changed a few ingredients and it worked great.

Pictured here, served in small cups at our Real Food Party

serves 3-4, depending on your chocolate craving

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of hazelnuts
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup of soy or nut milk
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 3-4 tbsp agave nectar

Instructions

Blend the hazelnuts and olive oil in food processor until a paste or ball forms.  Add the avocado and milk and blend until creamy.  Add the cocoa powder and agave to taste.  Serve alone, with berries or use in a pie.

mangia!