If at first you don't succeed: Guilt-free Oreo Chocolate Mousse Tart

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm ~ Winston Churchill

Recently my in-laws decided to go vegan.

Whereas I am very happily non-vegan.

I unabashedly love all things creamy and cheesy and can't help but be skeptical of vegan recipes that say they are just as good as the full cream versions.  Cream, cream cheese and butter, makes all things luscious and delicious.  I always find myself poo-pooing vegan recipes, I mean how could a soy/nut alternative be anywhere near as good?  And how reliable are the tastebuds of someone used to vegan fare when comparing to decadently delicious dairy equivalents?

But to accommodate my in-laws' new diet, I've ventured into the weird and wacky world of vegan dessert making.  Unfortunately, I didn't hit the ground running.  In fact, it was a big fat vegan FAIL.  I made a vegan lemon cheesecake that stubbornly wouldn't set and tasted like a lemony cashew nut milkshake.  Not quite the "tastes just like cream cheese" decadent dessert the recipe promised.

{lemon cheesecake FAIL}

But instead of being put off, it made me more determined to try out more recipes to get that elusive vegan victory.

And sweet sweet victory came in the form of this Guilt-free Oreo Chocolate Mousse Tart - a chocolate cream pie with a secret ingredient.

I was expecting this recipe to flop.  I was anticipating a schmaverage overly runny mess.

I was wrong.  

This creamy chocolatey tart was a revelation.  It's rich deep chocolate flavour and a silky creamy texture that really makes nigh impossible to tell there is no cream in it.  And coming from a die-hard non-vegan that's saying something! 

In fact, my taste-testers didn't believe me when I told them it as dairy-free.

The secret ingredient is silken tofu.  It's a type of tofu that has the highest moisture content left in it, making it silky smooth and delicate with a texture akin to custard.

Those of you worried about tasting soy, fear not!  Silken tofu has only a mild soy flavour and that gets completely masked by the dark semi-sweet chocolate used in the mousse. So what you get is a light deceptively creamy mousse that has all of the flavour, none of the lactose, and a fraction of the calories.  Having said that, there is a little bit of graininess to the mousse but it's so chocolately and rich you really don't notice it unless you are looking for it.

I was really blown away by this recipe.  It waaaay surpassed my expectations and I can't wait to make it again.  I mean a sinfully decadent velvety chocolate mousse pie recipe that is guilt-free but satisfying in every way that counts? Ahhh yes please!

Guilt-free Oreo Chocolate Mousse Tart

recipe adapted from the Chocolate Cream Pie recipe from Rumbly In My Tummy.

makes one 22cm diameter tart

Oreo Crust
28 oreo cookies (2 packets) (vegan: oreos in NZ seem to be vegan but check the packet)
60 g unsalted butter, softened (vegan: margarines like canola and olive oil based spreads)
NB: if you want this tart to be completely vegan, use vegan oreos and margarine or use a vegan crust.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse
300g - 400g semi sweet dark chocolate (start off with 300g and more to your taste, I found 400g of 72% whittakers dark chocolate gives it a really deep chocolatey flavour) (***EDIT: Please check your chocolate contain no milk products if you are lactose intolerant*** You can also use half milk chocolate and half semi sweet chocolate which makes it super chocolately but remember milk choc is delicious but isn't vegan)

1 tsp instant coffee granules

600 g silken tofu

2 Tbsp maple syrup (or more to your taste)
1 Tbsp vanilla essence
optional: 1-2 Tbsp Kahlua (coffee liqueur) or Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or other liqueur of your choice

1. Melt chocolate and coffee granules in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave (on high for 1 minute, stir, then heat in 30 second bursts stirring until melted).  Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Line the bottom of a 22cm diameter round springform pan with baking paper and lightly grease the sides with baking spray.

3. In a food processor or blender, process the oreo cookies into coarse crumbs. Or you can just put the cookies in a large ziplock bag, cover with a tea towel and bash it with a rolling pin until they are crumbs.  Great way to vent your anger!   Set aside 3 Tablespoons of the oreo crumbs.  Add the softened butter to the remaining crumbs and process until it comes together to form a dough.

4. Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press on the bottom and up the sides to form a crust (I made mine about 8 cm tall).  Place in the fridge to set.

5. In your food processor or blender, process the tofu, melted coffee/chocolate mixture, maple syrup, liqueur and vanilla until smooth.  Taste and add more maple syrup to your taste.

6. Pour into the oreo crust and chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours to set up nice and firm.  Just before serving, sprinkle the 3 Tablespoons of oreo crumbs you set aside.

Variations
For a black forest mousse tart: fold in 1 cup stoneless sweet cherries or fresh raspberries before pouring into the crust.
Chocolate strawberry mousse tart: fold in 1 cup chopped strawberries.
Chocolate orange mousse tart: add 1-2 Tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur.