Aqua-faba chocolate mousse with amaretto soaked cherries

This recipe was originally written for eco age.

I love chocolate mousse for pudding. A good chocolate mousse should be light and fluffy and wickedly chocolatey. This one is made with aqua-faba (also known as chickpea water). It is a wonderful substitute for eggs and a good way to use up any aqua-faba when making a recipe that requires chickpeas. Go for good quality dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids or higher as it gives a beautiful richness to the mousse and feel free to sub cherries out for strawberries or raspberries if you wish.

Serves 3

Ingredients

130g dairy free dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or higher)
150ml aqua-faba (usually one can’s worth), sieved to remove any chickpea remnants
1 tbsp caster sugar
200g cherries
3 tbs amaretto

Method

Place the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl placed over a bowl of simmering water. Allow it to melt gently. Remove from the heat and allow it to slightly cool.
Whilst your chocolate is melting/ cooling place your aqua-faba in a large clean bowl and using an electric whisk beat until stiff peaks form. Add the tablespoon of caster sugar when you have reached loose peak stage. Persevere as this will take 10-12 minutes. *Note. You cannot overbeat aqua-faba.
Gently fold in the melted chocolate until you have a smooth chocolatey mousse consistency. (The mix will lose some of its volume. This is normal).
Divide into three ramekins or glasses and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Slice your cherries in half and remove their pips. I find the easiest way (in the absence of a cherry stoner) to do this is to slice all the way round the cherry using a sharp knife and twist the halves apart. Then twist the pip out.
Place your cherries into a medium sized bowl and pour in the amaretto. Toss well and place in the fridge until ready to serve tossing every so often.
To serve arrange a few cherries on top of the mousse and finish with a little grated chocolate if you wish.