When is a mousse not a mousse?

I am feeling distinctly under the weather. My Beloved has been battling the same thing for approx. a week now and, since one of my managers at work is also ill, I guess it was inevitable that I would come down with it. So, given that I have spent much of the day in bed, I thought I would post something light and fluffy to cheer myself up.

Lemon mousse, to be specific.

I have long wanted to create a vegan equivalent of those light and airy mousses I used to enjoy back when I ate dairy and eggs and this weekend My Beloved spotted a gorgeous raspberry mousse on the menu and could not resist. Settling for a rich dark coffee instead, I mused at how I might some day render this sweet treat cruelty-free.

So yesterday, just before the flu started to settle in, I tried out a recipe for lemon mousse which turned out delish but distinctly un-moussy. More like a pudding, in fact.



I don't yet have too much experience with pudding-type desserts, being more of a baker, but I really want to try to expand my repertoire and the recipe - which uses all of six ingredients - seemed like an easy way in. Here's what you do....

Take the following:

1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c soymilk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 package (12 oz) silken tofu, drained

and

1. Place the sugar, soymilk and cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk until combined.
2. Heat gently until the mix comes to a simmer and starts to thicken.
3. Add in the lemon juice and stir well to incorporate.
4. Place the drained tofu into a food processor and pour in the sweetened lemon-soymilk mixture.
5. Process until an even and creamy texture is reached, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to re-capture any tofu escapees!
6. Spoon into martini glasses and allow to cool. Chill and eat when you just can't stand it anymore!

Now, the amounts listed actually make four portions, but being the greedy vegan I am, I made only two.....Hmmmm....mistake! My Beloved and I shared one last evening and it really was too big. Try to resist making the super-sized portions that I made....your thighs will thank you!

It really isn't terribly mousse-like, so I guess my little experiment failed. But I will persist and perhaps next time come out with something closer to light and airy than to rich and creamy. But when failure tastes this good, I say 'Bring it on!'

Oh, and lastly...why not dress it all up a little with a shot of Limoncello and a few fresh blueberries.....oh mama!



Yummmmm.....



Eat well, stay well and stay vegan, friends! :)

Iron Cupcake Challenge

With the turkey massacre that is Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I am feeling more glum by the day so it is time to think about something slightly lighter....the Iron Cupcake Challenge. This is some fun devised by the Milwaukee Cupcake Queen whereby each month an ingredient is announced and folks compete to create a cupcake using that 'guest' ingredient.

There are monthly prizes and the November ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from the following artists:

* LOLLIPOP WORKSHOP
* COOKIE SUNSHINE

as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES.

OK, so last month it was cheese which presented a unique challenge to a vegan baker to be sure and so I ended up letting my entry slide. This month, however, the mytery foodstuff is the ever-so-humble-but-completely-wonderful-superstar-of-the antioxidant-izers: the CRANBERRY!

So for my entry I have created the Thanksgiving Stack cupcake!





Its base is a lemon, almond and vegan white chocolate cupcake - lusciously light yet moist and a fraction chewy from the ground almonds. To create the multi-layered effect, I just added some red food colouring to one half of the cupcake batter and then sliced and stacked the layers alternately. The filling is a light vegan buttercream frosting with a swirl of fresh cranberry confit.

As part of the entry I have uploaded my pix to the cupcake group on Flickr where you can see the competition is in full swing! I know I need to work on my 'mis en place' a bit more, but heck...this is going to be one sweet dessert to share with My Beloved in front of the fire tonight!

Anyways, click on over the ICC page and vote for Cackleberry! Let's have a vegan cupcake win this time!

And...stay vegan, friends!

Lemons fruiting in the summer sun

Risotto.

Even the name sounds vaguely exotic and mysterious, conjuring images of Tuscany, tree-ripened olives, flaggons of wine, picnic tables spread with linen cloths and lemons fruiting in the summer sun.

Or is that just me?

Well, whatever the case, it is an almost **transcendental** experience to have a meal fully prepared and waiting for me when I get home. But such was - again! - the case tonight. Man, I am a lucky gal! :)

I arrived home after a long day toiling with code and HTML email campaigns - yeah, right! - to find that My Beloved had prepared a summer squash, mushroom and lemon risotto. He was, methinks, demonstrating his culinary prowess to his (visiting) father, but hey I'll take it!

This was the result:



He paired it with a very nice South African (!) Sauvignon Blanc and had a backup Merlot waiting in the wings. OK, we didn't really _need_ the merlot, but it was a nice touch, given that it's coming to the end of the week and I am yearning - YEARNING - for the weekend.

I'm ticked tonight that I have managed to miss my first try-out at the Iron Cupcake Challenge, but I guess something had to give. Things have been busy the last few weeks, so I suppose that this slipped off the table. It's a shame, but it makes me determined to enter next month. Wouldn't that be something - if a vegan cupcake won?

:: smile ::

Stay Vegan, Friends!