Aquafaba rides again to whip up coconut, white chocolate mousse. I didn’t think it was possible to whip the aquafaba to merengue consistency, but you learn something new every day.  The vegan white chocolate blended perfectly into the coconut whipped cream, and the aguafaba folded like a dream to lighten the mousse into an airy cloud of uber deliciousness. Tip: Adding a little cream of tartar stabilizes the aquafaba. Although, I do have to say that for desserts aqugafaba does present some challenges in the flavor department. Unlike egg whites, it isn’t exactly a neutral base. But all it took was some orange extract to balance it out, which made a perfect flavor profile for layering with mixed berries. Now, if only I could get the aquafaba to perform as an aerating component for soufflés, I would be live’n la Vida Loca.

Recipe notes: What you will need: Bowl, whisk, hand mixer, glass Pyrex measuring cup, and spatula. Active prep time 30-minutes. Yields 4 servings. Difficulty level: Very easy.

Mousse Ingredients:

Whipped cream

• 2-cups “Kara” coconut cream in the box, well chilled (for best results, chill bowl, and beaters)
• 2-tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp stevia

Unsweetened Vegan White chocolate

• 2-oz deodorized cacao butter
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• 2-Tbsp coconut cream
• 1-tsp vanilla extract
• 1-tsp or 4-gel caps lecithin (sunflower or soy)

Merengue

• 1/3-cup aquafaba (chickpea water) at room temperature
• 1/4-tsp cream of tarter
• 1/4 cup stevia
• 1-tsp orange extract

Preparation:

Whipped cream

1. Pour chilled cream into a bowl and beat on med-high speed. Add sweetener and flavoring, and continue beating till stiff peaks form.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated

Unsweetened White Chocolate

1. In a small cup or ramekin, combine coconut cream and flavoring and stir well. Set aside.
2. Place cacao butter in a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave at 30-sec intervals for approximately 1 1/2 to 2-minutes.
3. Using a small whisk, slowly pour coconut cream into melted cacao while simultaneously whisking butter.
4. If using lecithin gel caps, snip ends with kitchen shears and squeeze the oil into the chocolate mixture to emulsify, while continuing to whisk. Set the chocolate aside while you prepare aquafaba meringue. If chocolate begins setting, place glass in warm water.

Merengue

1. Pour aquafaba in the mixing bowl.
2. Using clean, dry beaters, beat aquafaba till frothy.
3. Add cream of tartar and beat till foamy
4. Add sweetener and flavoring, and continue beating to soft peaks.
5. Remove whipped cream from the refrigerator and place it on the work station alongside meringue and chocolate. The mousse will come together in a 3-step process
6. Add 1/3 of meringue to the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine.
7. Fold chocolate meringue back into remaining meringue and fold to thoroughly combine.
8. Gently fold the chocolate meringue into whipped cream till thoroughly combined.
9. Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve.
10. In parfait or wine glass, alternate layers of mousse and berries and garnish with mint or favorite toppings.
11. Serve chilled