The Portland Pickle

You may know that I dig Mark Bittman’s simple recipes. I should clarify: some of his recipes I love, some I dismiss right away and others reside somewhere between very strange and brilliant, which was the case with his featured recipe in the New York Times several weeks ago: Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding.

I know. You’re thinking this sounds disgusting, right? It’s anything but. The timing was perfect since we were having friends for dinner that week, one of whom maintains a vegan-gluten-free diet.  I was desperate for a dessert we could all enjoy. Despite my overwhelming skepticism, the pudding was a smashing success.  The silken tofu lends a perfect creamy texture to the pudding.  Topped with a strawberry, shaved chocolate and a pinch of chili powder, not one person at the dinner party guessed it was made with tofu!!!

I’m dying for someone else to try this. Are you up for it?

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding 

3/4 cup sugar
1 pound silken tofu
8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
Chocolate shavings (optional)

 

1. In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

2. Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.