Chocolate Coconut Mousse with Agar-Agar
Chocolate mousse is a decadent dessert typically made with egg whites and heavy cream. My version is vegan and uses agar agar to help firm the mixture up instead of eggs and dairy. Are you familiar with agar agar? It’s a red algae that is used to thicken and firm up a host of Asian desserts. I think of it as vegan gelatin. It’s flavorless and fabulous!
In general I prefer to keep dairy out of my chocolate when I can. Don’t get me wrong, I think that milk chocolate is absolutely delicious and is definitely a nostalgic childhood flavor for me. However, milk has a protein called casein that binds to many of the antioxidants in the chocolate rendering them unusable to our bodies. I don’t make a point of eating chocolate because of the antioxidants but I do consider it to be a big bonus. Selecting dairy free chocolate is a simple and easy way to upgrade your diet.
INGREDIENTS
200g dark chocolate (70% or darker), roughly chopped
2 ½ c water
½ tsp agar-agar powder or 2 Tbsp flakes
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 c full fat coconut milk
Toasted coconut flakes for garnishing
Maldon salt for garnishing
DIRECTIONS
Pour water into a medium saucepan until it is ¼ of the way filled. Place a medium metal bowl on top and ensure that it fits snugly. There shouldn’t be any gaps on the sides and the water shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat the water over medium high heat until it simmers.
Once the water is simmering, add chocolate to the bowl. Periodically stir with a heat proof spatula to ensure even melting. Once melted, remove the bowl from heat. Set aside.
Combine water and agar agar in a medium pot and cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes to ensure that agar agar is completely dissolved, especially if using the flakes.
Add sugar and salt and mix until dissolved. Remove from heat.
Add coconut milk and stir to combine.
Combine chocolate and coconut mixture starting with adding just a few tablespoons of the coconut mixture to chocolate. Once combined add a few more tablespoons until everything is combined. If you try to combine the two too quickly, you run the risk of the end product being chunky.
Pour the homogeneous batter into individual molds.
Place into the refrigerator to cool until the mousse is set. This will take about 1 hour, depending on the size of the mold you are using.
Just before serving, garnish with toasted coconut flakes and Maldon salt.
Serves: 6-8