Vegan Desserts with Tofu

When you hear the word "tofu", delicious doesn't always come to mind. To be blunt tofu itself is very bland and flavorless, kinda yucky to eat on its own. Because it has no flavor of its own it's great to cook with. Tofu acts like a sponge, soaking up any spices/juices that you cook it in. For me I love adding tofu to my stir-fry, that is how I was first introduced to tofu.

Tofu can be used in just about any meal that you would make, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

In this post I am focusing on desserts. I have been very impressed with the silken tofu and the desserts that I have made with it. I recommend you try it for yourself and see what I mean....

Recipe:

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Servings: 6

Ingredients

( T ) = Tablespoon ( t ) = Teaspoon ( C ) = Cup

1 (16-ounce) package Nasoya or Azumaya Silken Tofu

12 oz. good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces

2 to 4 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar if desired

2 t pure vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) ready-to-use chocolate crumb crust

1 Whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping Chocolate shavings or curls

Preparation Method:

1. Microwave chocolate in microwavable bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (50%) for 1 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. 2. Puree tofu in food processor add melted chocolate and sugar process until completely blended, scraping sides down. Add vanilla blend well. 3. Turn mixture into crust. 4. Chill 1 hour or until set. Garnish with whipped cream and shavings. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, uncovered, before serving.

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 (16-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar or sucanat (or 1/2 cup maple syrup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional

2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling

1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu

1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Blend the pumpkin and sugar. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. Chill and serve. Don't use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu. This pie is soooo yummy, it will fool almost anyone. I made it last Thanksgiving for my whole family, I am the only one, and everyone asked for seconds. They begged me to make another one for Christmas dinner. Top with non dairy topping and it will fool any pumpkin pie lover.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: about 1 hour + chilling time, Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Pie Shell

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 2/3 cups un-bleached all purpose flour

3/4 of a teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening or soy margrine

3 tablespoons ice water

1/4 cup soy milk (or equivlant)

3 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

To make the pie shell, place all ingredients in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. Then in a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the the shortening or margrine, mix and then ice water and soy milk small amounts at a time and keep stiring to comes togeher. Transfer on to a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 11 inches wide and 1/8 inches thick.

Preparation time: 15 min