Tofu Chocolate Pudding

     Chocolate heaven. As much as I love greens, and boy have I been getting a lot of them lately with my CSA from Rye's HomeGrown, it's always nice to escape the jungle that is my fridge with a smooth and decadent chocolate delight. I initially created this recipe for a food demo for one of my nutrition classes, aimed at getting vegetarian children to eat more protein, considering the nut-free policy of most elementary schools these days. And based on the reviews I received, you'll love this pudding and so will your children (or anyone else's children). Because tofu is so dull it takes on whatever flavours you add it to, in this case it just tastes like chocolate, which makes me very happy. 

     I've tried a couple different ways of making tofu chocolate pudding. Making it with just cocoa powder isn't quite decadent enough, not enough fat. I found that when I used just chocolate chips, it was a bit too fatty. Or perhaps I just felt guilty using that much chocolate chips. Either way, I find that using a combination of chocolate chips and dutch cocoa powder is just perfect. 

     This recipe is rather simple compared to dairy based chocolate puddings, the hardest thing you'll have to do is melt some chocolate, which can either be done with in a double boiler, or if you are lazy like I often am, you can even do it in the microwave. 

Time: 15min (+1h)

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 package silken or soft tofu, drained
• 2/3 cup (120g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or quality dark chocolate
• ¼ cup (30g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 1 Tbsp soy milk

Preparation

1. In a double boiler or a large glass bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt chocolate with cocoa powder, maple syrup, water, and soy milk, stirring regularly.
2. Meanwhile blend silken or soft tofu in blender until smooth, alternatively this can also be done with an immersion blender.
3. When the tofu is smooth and the chocolate mixture is melted, add the chocolate to the tofu in the blender, and blend on low to combine.
4. Transfer to a storage container or serving bowls, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
5. Serve with fresh raspberries and coconut or shaved chocolate.

Try serving it with raspberries and fresh shaved coconut, it's a delicious combination!