Chocolate Mousse - Without the Mousse

So... You've got a hankering for Chocolate Mousse and the usual ingredients like eggs and 35% cream have left you quarantine challenged? Oddly enough you have cans of chick peas or white kidney beans-o-plenty? Well if you have that plus some sweetener and something chocolate based your all set. Normally for this I would melt down chocolate, but aside from stealing my little boys Easter bunny, cocoa powder would have to do.

Does this make an amazing Chocolate Mousse? Well, I'm too much of a foody to yes. It does make a really good Chocolate Mousse though, and its even vaguely healthy. We are cramming sugar into this after all... Its even almost vegan, but I used a little butter. This could easily be skipped by using a lactose free margarine or coconut oil if your into that sort of thing. Coconut oil for me should be reserved for Thai dishes or in my pina-colada... the taste is just to overpowering. But I digress, This still makes a damn good dessert that is very satisfying, considering its made out of bean juice...

The base for this is of course your bean liquid, more commonly known as aquafaba. Aquafaba works as a egg white substitute. I'd get into the science of it all, but maybe ill leave that for another day. Either way it is typically the leftover liquid found in canned chickpeas. Little known fact, the liquid from white kidney beans works the same. My Mousse was made from the liquid from a can of chickpeas and a can of white kidney beans.

• 2 cups of aquafaba - from 2 large cans of either kidney or chickpeas (reserve the beans for something else)
• 3/4 cup icing sugar, granulated works as well
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder or 5 oz of your child's Easter bunny...
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

The first step is simple.

With a mixer, beat the aquafaba with the one teaspoon of vanilla for about 7 minutes until almost stiff peaks form

Now, stir in your 3/4 cup of icing sugar.

When you start beating again, your volume will change dramatically, as evident by the overflowing bowl... This will take about 3 more minutes and will result in razor sharp stiff peaks, wow!

Combine your melted butter or ew... coconut oil with the cocoa powder and the granulated sugar. if its too gummy, you can add a touch of liquid like milk or water. A tablespoon should be more then enough.

Take a scoop of you hard peak aquafaba and stir it into the chocolate mixture. This is to lighten it and make it easier to fold in.

Next add the chocolate mixture to the aquafaba and gently fold it in until combined. Be gentle as to not deflate the mixture

Pour into serving bowls, frou-frou glass mousse parfait glasses or a set of mugs like I did. The picture shows 3 mugs, but it actually filled about five 8oz mugs.

Set in your fridge to firm up. An hour will make them fairly firm and if you need your Mousse RIGHT NOW, be my guest. Overnight is better though

Enjoy Your Chocolate Mousse.