Late last year (2014) when I was going through the different categories of recipes that I had on the blog I realised that I didn’t have too many in the ‘Dessert/Sweet dish‘ category. Neither did I have too many in the ‘Hor D’oeuvres/Starters/Appetizers‘ section. I decided that I must learn to make some of these during the year as it would come handy whenever I wanted to host a party. Since I am always in charge of preparing the dessert at my place I like to make something that is either simple and not laborious or one that can be made ahead of time, like on the previous day. I managed to try out and post a decent number of dessert recipes and the starters weren’t left too far behind as the hubby has tried out a zillion recipes but only a handful of them could be posted. During the next year, we will let the party starters take centre stage while I will go easy on the dessert recipes unless they are low calorie and healthy. If you’d like to see something new on the blog do let me know by emailing me at ruchikrandhap@gmail.com
The year 2015 also saw me trying out at least one bread recipe a month – a target I had set for myself which I am happy I could fulfill. I realised how much I enjoyed being a part of the bread baking team on Facebook, with whom I bake a new bread every month. You can find all the recipes in the ‘Breads‘ section on my blog.
The most important triumph for me is the recognition that my simple series received. The Boshi series that I started in November 2014 was very well received by my readers. It went on to become so popular that it got a small mention recently in the Pune Mirror (The Times of India) where my blog was featured in a Weekly section called as The Eater-Net. Sometimes a small idea can truly change one’s life. Besides this, the blog also got a brief mention in NPR’s (National Public Radio) food section called as ‘The Salt’, on homemade wines in India. You can find the article here. You can also find all links where my blog was in the news in this compilation here.
On the personal front I won’t say that 2015 was the best year but it did teach me plenty of lessons that I will remember all my life. Lessons about how people are and how they can influence your life. Lessons about decisions people take that can make or break – decisions that can have a snowball effect on others. I am particularly grateful to the handful of people (besides close family & friends) who were my biggest strength this year and helped me tide through challenges. Amazingly some of these are people I have never ever met (hello social media!). You know who you are and I am forever in your debt. Sometimes one random act of kindness, a word of encouragement or even a joke to lighten one’s spirit can unburden your yoke and help you see things in new light. My thank you speech will be incomplete if I don’t mention the huge role that God has always played in my life. Without Him, I am nothing. I thank Him and praise Him for being my solid rock, my strength, my comfort and my best friend – for whispering in my ear that we are a team and that He will tide me through anything. I think this strong, unwavering belief has really really helped me.
I dedicate the coming year 2016 to ‘Hope‘ – because it keeps all of us going. I hope for a better tomorrow – for you and me. Hope brings all things beautiful – Love, Faith & Joy. Without ‘Hope’ there really is nothing. I wish all my readers Hope, Love, Joy & Faith this coming year. Along with it, I pray for tons of Success in every aspect of your life. May Good Health & Prosperity be yours to keep.
Have a Happy and Safe New Year 2016!!
Back to today’s recipe – a big hug and thanks to my childhood friend Lakshmi Pai Bhat who gave me this wonderful recipe that she got from her aunt. We discussed this on our whatsapp group a few weeks ago and I wanted to make it right away. I tinkered around with the ingredients until I got good results. I was fascinated when she said that the mousse uses tofu as I didn’t like it too much (from my experience at a Chinese restaurant many years ago). But I have changed my opinion forever after tasting this dessert. I do hope you enjoy making this and eating it!
Chocolate Orange Tofu Mousse
A delicious silky smooth treat for chocolate lovers! The orange flavour pairs very well here and you can never tell that this mousse contains tofu!
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Ingredients
- 300 grams 10 oz silken tofu * see notes
- 120 grams bittersweet chocolate I used a mix of Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolate and bittersweet choco chips
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- 50 grams 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons orange liqueur I used cointreau or rum or any liqueur of your choice * optional
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- a pinch of chilli flakes optional
- a tiny pinch of salt just a few grains to help balance the flavours
Other things you will require:
- vodka shot glasses/wine glasses/dessert bowls or any other fancy serving container
Instructions
- Using a mixer jar or a hand blender, blend the tofu to a smooth puree. Keep aside
- Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Take care to see that the base of the bowl does not touch the water below. When the chocolate is melted, add the unsweetened cocoa powder, caster sugar and warm milk and whisk together to form a smooth, lump free mixture.
- Add the orange liqueur if using, orange zest, chilli flakes and the pinch of salt and mix. Check the taste and adjust flavourings
- Add the tofu puree and mix everything well. Pour the mixture into the shot glasses (or any other serving container of your choice) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, the longer the better. For best results chill it overnight.
- Serve with some pared or microplaned orange zest on top or some whipped cream!
Notes
1. Silken tofu is the soft and wobbly variety of tofu. The texture resembles a lot like jelly. The other kind is firm and can be sliced, pretty much like firm paneer. Use the softest variety that you can find – silken being the best 2. Replace the alcohol with vanilla or almond extract or simply add a tablespoon or two of fresh orange juice for that additional flavour of oranges 3. Skip the chilli flakes if you will serve this dessert to little ones. Although the flakes won’t turn the dish into a spicy one you wouldn’t want the little ones to bite into a flake!
Disclaimer
The nutritional values are only indicative.
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment & rate the recipe below or share a photo on Instagram and tag me @ruchikrandhap
Thts so lovely…