Chocolate Silk

One of the hardest things about going dairy-free is you end up constantly comparing what you're eating with it's dairy counterpart.  Sometimes it's better than the original while other times you end up being disappointed.

Tofu-based puddings always fell in the disappointment category for me.  I've tried a number of versions and not one of them was even remotely close to dairy-based puddings. My solution...stop comparing the two. 

My mistake was calling it pudding because everyone knows what pudding should be and I'll be honest, this isn't it. Now there are a lot of things I could do to make it more pudding-like but I wanted this to be a very quick and easy dessert. 

A great thing about using tofu is you start with a relatively fat-free base and depending on what you add to it you can end up with a pretty decent low-fat dessert.  Cocoa powder added very little fat but tasted exactly like what it was, tofu and cocoa (blech).  Melted dark chocolate turned out to have a better flavor and a richer, creamier texture. The final version ended up somewhere around 4 grams of fat per serving. 

I'm going to continue to play with this base recipe and see what I come up with but why should I have all the fun.  Grab some tofu and start playing and let me know what you come up with. 

Chocolate Silk
The silken tofu gives this a soft texture but if you’re looking for a more substantial consistency substitute firm tofu.  

Serve 4

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy creamer
1 (12.3-ounce) container silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries

Combine chocolate chips, sugar and soy creamer in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir just until chocolate has melted; do not let mixture get hot.  Remove from heat.  

Place tofu in bowl of food processor and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and process until fully incorporated.  Spoon pudding into serving dishes and chill at least 4 hours.