Hey Puddin'

How do you guys feel about tofu? If you're less than enthusiastic, lemme change your mind. Even my staunchly omnivorous dad has stopped picking the tofu cubes out of his curry, so I feel pretty confident in my ability to sway you on this one. I get the feeling that you're still skeptical, though, so I'm going to throw in a wild card: tofu AND chocolate. I know this all sounds a little too crazy, but bear with me and pretty soon you'll be feasting on vegan chocolate pudding that will completely blow your mind. 

I try to keep all the recipes on here relatively straightforward and stress-free, but this chocolate pudding is especially foolproof. The only caveat is that you need some kind of mixing apparatus - blender, food processor, immersion blender, Slap Chop, whatever. Just kidding, don't use a Slap Chop, but do take 3 minutes to watch the infomercial because that shit cracks me up.

You'll also need silken tofu for this recipe. This type of tofu hasn't been pressed, so it's super delicate and ideal for making things like vegan custard, pumpkin pie filling, and pudding. Make sure your tofu is silken, because you and your blender will both end up sincerely hating me if you try to puree up chocolate and regular firm tofu.

Today's ridiculously simple dessert comes to you courtesy of my college roommate Kristy, who not only sent me this recipe, but also took me out to an amazing vegan restaurant when I was in New York a few weeks ago, thereby forever cementing her status as my favorite Croatian on the planet. Živjeli!

Vegan Chocolate Pudding
(adapted from Aida Mollenkamp's Pairs Well With Food)


Serves 4

6 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate
1 pound silken tofu (this sounds like a lot, but I promise it's not!)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
a pinch of salt

The goods.

Melt your chocolate. Ideally this should be done using a double-boiler, but I'm a heathen and just used a saucepan. Keep the heat super low and stir constantly so that your chocolate doesn't burn. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes while you gather your other ingredients.

Before...

...after!

Once your chocolate has cooled enough that it doesn't burn your fingers when you sneak a taste, throw everything into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth - you may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to catch any errant tofu clumps. If you're using an immersion blender like I did, you can just blend everything in the pot that you used to melt your chocolate.

Super appetizing. 

Keep mixing!

Pour your pudding into a Tupperware or into individual bowls, then leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set. Seriously, that's it. You can top your pudding with mint leaves or a dash of cinnamon to make it fancy, then serve to your guests and enjoy the looks on their faces when you tell them that they're eating tofu for dessert.

BUT, if you are absolutely 100% opposed to tofu in your pudding, Autostraddle (my favorite queer website) has an avocado alternative that may tickle your fancy.