The biggest reason I like tofu is that good tofu has a custard-like texture.
No wonder then that silken tofu is often used to make a delicious, creamy chocolate dessert. This dessert is often called chocolate mousse, but I think it looks more like firm custard. It has a very smooth texture, which is exactly what I like. I use dark chocolate, coffee and not a lot of sweetener. As a result, the custard is somewhat bitter.
I like that, but you can also add more agave or maple syrup, or use milk chocolate.
Ingredients
Green Tea Powder
- You can make green tea powder yourself by grinding your favourite green tea. I use longjing for this, but other green teas are fine too. If you don’t have a grinder, you can also use storebought matcha powder.
Custard
- 150g dark chocolate or milk chocolate
- 300g silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup
- 2g instant coffee
Crumble
- 60g cold butter, cubed
- 80g all-purpose flour
- 40g light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon green tea powder
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Equipment
- blender or immersion blender
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Waiting time: 1 hour
Method
For the custard, bring a little water to the boil in a pan. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl on top of the pan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Melt the chocolate in the bowl.
Add the melted chocolate, silken tofu, agave syrup or maple syrup and coffee to a blender or the bowl of an immersion blender and puree. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butter, flour, sugar, tea powder, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl and squeeze/rub with your hands until crumbs of different sizes form. Place the crumbs on a baking paper–lined tray or baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Toss halfway through. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Divide the custard between four to six bowls and spoon over the crumble. You can serve any left-over crumble with ice cream or yoghurt another time.
Recipe extracted from “How to Fall in Love with Tofu” by Emma de Thouars
Published by Smith Street Books, distributed by Thames& Hudson Australia,
RRP$ 45.00.
