Editor’s Note: Caroline Saunders is the mastermind behind Pale Blue Tart, a weekly Substack newsletter full of unique recipes and sustainable baking tips. She approaches her creations from the angle that dessert can be both enjoyable to eat and have a positive impact on the planet. Here, she shares with Bluedot readers a simple yet satisfying recipe for vegan chocolate mousse which utilizes aquafaba, the leftover liquid of canned chickpeas.
This make-ahead mousse is an ode to the whole orange — and the humble superpowers of chickpea water. Aquafaba, or the protein-rich liquid that drains off a can of garbanzos, whips into a fluffy plant-based meringue that combines with chocolate to make a decadently dark mousse. For a little extra razzle-dazzle, I mix the zest of an orange into the mousse and serve it in hollowed-out orange halves. Scooping out the fruity flesh from each orange is a cinch with the aid of a grapefruit knife; cut the leftover fruit into slices and plop a piece atop each mousse before serving. This recipe makes four guest-worthy mousse cups — by which I mean the bowls will look great — and up to two more mousse-cups that have homelier exteriors because they’ve been zested. The zested ones make great snacks for you, after your guests have left. Prepare these up to a day in advance and store in the fridge.
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Chocolate-Orange Aquafaba Mousse
- Yield: Makes 4+ servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 oranges, one of them zested and zest reserved
- ½ cup (120 grams) aquafaba
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5 ounce (142 grams) vegan or standard chocolate chips, bittersweet or dark
Instructions
- Prepare the orange bowls: Zest one orange of the three oranges and set the zest aside. Cut each orange in half; then, using a sharp grapefruit knife, remove the flesh to form an empty bowl. (It’s ok if you leave a small amount of orange flesh or juice behind — it will flavor the mousse.) Cut the orange flesh into slices and reserve for serving.
- Make the mousse: Add the aquafaba and lemon juice to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix until foamy (about one minute), then sprinkle in the sugar while the mixer is running. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 7 to 10 minutes, until the meringue volume has quadrupled and holds stiff peaks.
- Meanwhile, heat the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, mixing frequently with a fork to prevent burning, until it has completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly while the meringue finishes mixing.
- Using a spatula, fold the zest and a cup of the meringue at a time into the slightly cooled chocolate, working delicately. If the mixture doesn’t come together after a few additions, mix vigorously, then continue. Continue folding together until no streaks remain.
- Divide the mousse between the six orange bowls, starting with the nicer-looking unzested ones so you’re sure to fill those up. Chill for an hour in the fridge or up to a day. When ready to serve, top with reserved orange slices.
