# Aquafaba chocolate mousse



## Radders (Mar 13, 2017)

A friend posted a link to this on Facebook and I was intrigued so thought I would try it. Has anyone else tried it? http://www.lazycatkitchen.com/fluffy-vegan-chocolate-mousse/  Sure enough, the chickpea brine whisked up really well into stiff peaks just like egg white, but I'm not sure what I did wrong, because as soon as I mixed the chocolate in it formed into lumps and to get it all mixed in I ended up losing all the air.
The result was edible but only just, more mud than mousse, and whatever anyone says, it definitely tasted of chickpeas. Not one to waste anything I ate it with strawberries and creme fraiche and the combination was good but it wasn't something I'd serve to anyone else.


----------



## Amigo (Mar 13, 2017)

Oh Radders, I only got as far as the chickpea brine and felt quite queasy!


----------



## Ljc (Mar 14, 2017)

Amigo said:


> Oh Radders, I only got as far as the chickpea brine and felt quite queasy!


Me too. How on earth did you manage to eat it @Radders I'll never know.


----------



## Mark Parrott (Mar 14, 2017)

I saw this too.  How did anyone find out that whisking up chickpea brine would turn fluffy & replace eggs?


----------



## Robin (Mar 14, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> I saw this too.  How did anyone find out that whisking up chickpea brine would turn fluffy & replace eggs?


In the same way that someone first found that if you separated the white from the yolk, then you could whisk that up, I suspect. I've no idea who would think to do either of them, though!


----------



## mikeyB (Mar 14, 2017)

Serendipity, I suppose. My guess is that the chickpea thing has been known about for centuries, but rightly abandoned as a dim idea, seeing as egg white has no carbs to speak of.


----------



## the blue wildebeest (Mar 14, 2017)

Well, I have made many meals I would not serve to anyone else! And I have a new vegetarian ketogenic recipe book, which has two recipes with bacon, and "bacon grease". 
Last night was aubergine/mushrooms/passata/shallots topped with grated cheese which just kept getting bigger.  
Latest bloods a week from today. (Metformin only, having stopped Gliclazide. I will be curious to see the results.)


----------



## Radders (Mar 14, 2017)

mikeyB said:


> Serendipity, I suppose. My guess is that the chickpea thing has been known about for centuries, but rightly abandoned as a dim idea, seeing as egg white has no carbs to speak of.


It's vegan, you don't end up with egg yolks you don't know what to do with, and if you eat chick peas anyway, it has a free ingredient.


----------



## Radders (Mar 14, 2017)

Ljc said:


> Me too. How on earth did you manage to eat it @Radders I'll never know.


It wasn't bad and the fact that it contained three little bars of 85% dark chocolate meant I certainly wasn't going to throw it away


----------



## Vicsetter (Mar 14, 2017)

I suspect that your melted chocolate was too warm when you added to the froth (Point 5).  Chocolate can do strange things.


----------



## Radders (Mar 14, 2017)

Vicsetter said:


> I suspect that your melted chocolate was too warm when you added to the froth (Point 5).  Chocolate can do strange things.


I don't really understand this: it looked as if it set when it came into contact with the cold aquafaba. Just how cool can chocolate get before it sets? I must admit I haven't really made a lot of desserts with melted chocolate.
The first batch of chocolate went very odd when I added the vanilla extract. I had to rescue that by making peanut butter pralines!


----------



## Robin (Mar 14, 2017)

Radders said:


> I don't really understand this: it looked as if it set when it came into contact with the cold aquafaba. Just how cool can chocolate get before it sets? I must admit I haven't really made a lot of desserts with melted chocolate.
> The first batch of chocolate went very odd when I added the vanilla extract. I had to rescue that by making peanut butter pralines!


I've had problems with chocolate going grainy and clumpy when I've added liquid. see here for tips.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-melt-chocolate-p2-482395


----------



## mikeyB (Mar 15, 2017)

Or simply add Bournville cocoa powder to the whipping mix. Problem solved. You won't get the melting centre of a proper chocolate mousse, but at least it would be edible. Jamie Oliver does a Vegan chocolate mousse using Avocado as a base material, Google it. Sounds tasty. Avocado being oily would improve the mouth feel, which is important in these dishes.

Personally, I would make a proper chocolate mousse and bolus appropriately.


----------



## Radders (Mar 15, 2017)

mikeyB said:


> Or simply add Bournville cocoa powder to the whipping mix. Problem solved. You won't get the melting centre of a proper chocolate mousse, but at least it would be edible. Jamie Oliver does a Vegan chocolate mousse using Avocado as a base material, Google it. Sounds tasty. Avocado being oily would improve the mouth feel, which is important in these dishes.


Sounds interesting! A lot more expensive though. 
I wouldn't think just adding cocoa powder would work. Surely the cocoa would need to be dissolved? Or has anyone tried this?


----------



## the blue wildebeest (Mar 16, 2017)

Cocoa powder definitely works, or can be blended with a very small amount of agave syrup to give an intense chocolate flavour. If you put that into a dish with the "mousse" over the top, you are getting to a dessert...


----------



## Radders (Mar 16, 2017)

Wildebeest do you mean you can just mix cocoa powder with whisked egg white (or similar) in the mousse itself?


----------



## the blue wildebeest (Mar 17, 2017)

Certainly you can whisk it into the mix, but it is easier if you are combining a liquid...Folding in to get a marbled effect. There is a product called "Sweet Freedom Choc Shot" which can be used in small quantities. 5mil warmed with a little milk,to make it more liquid and some grated chocolate on top. A quick squiggle on Greek Yogurt and some chopped hazel nuts or toasted almond flakes also works well.


----------



## Radders (Mar 18, 2017)

the blue wildebeest said:


> Certainly you can whisk it into the mix, but it is easier if you are combining a liquid...Folding in to get a marbled effect. There is a product called "Sweet Freedom Choc Shot" which can be used in small quantities. 5mil warmed with a little milk,to make it more liquid and some grated chocolate on top. A quick squiggle on Greek Yogurt and some chopped hazel nuts or toasted almond flakes also works well.


Is it deeply chocolatey? That's the taste I want from a chocolate dessert!


----------



## the blue wildebeest (Mar 18, 2017)

Not just deeply, outrageously!


----------

