Chocolate Mousse Pie

The Monday after a holiday break hits hard.

Treat yourself for making it through with this chocolate mousse pie.

It’ll ease the pain for Tuesday.

Since my pie crust recipe makes two pie shells, and double-crusted mousse pies aren’t a thing, I made this recipe to fill two pies. Feel free to halve it if you don’t actually want two pies…but I’m sure your neighbor would appreciate one as they trudge back to the workweek, too.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

• *2 scant cups aquafaba (water drained from chickpeas)

• *1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• *1/3 cup black cocoa powder

• 2 cups vegan dark chocolate

• 1/3 cup plant-based milk

• *1/3 cup strong coffee/espresso

• 1 batch pie crust

Process

1. Prepare the pie crusts according to the recipe and fit two crusts into two pie pans. Bake at 350 degrees for
   20-25 minutes, until they’re firm (but not dry!) in the center. Use any leftover dough to cut out adorable shapes
   and bake them on a sheet pan for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size/shape.

2. Remove the crusts from the oven and allow to cool completely.

3. *Pour the aquafaba into a mixer with the cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, cocoa powder and powdered sugar.
   Place a towel over the bowl and whip on high speed for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture has doubled (or more)
   in volume and can hold stiff peaks.

4. *Melt the chocolate, milk and coffee together in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at a time,
   stirring thoroughly between intervals. Continue until all the chocolate has melted, or only small bits of
   chocolate remain, which you can stir by hand to finish melting.

5. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl.

6. *Add the aquafaba and fold into the chocolate gently, until completely mixed. The mixture may lose
   volume - that’s okay!

7. Pour the mousse into the cooled pie shells and chill in the fridge for 2+ hours (but, the longer, the better).
   When the mousse has firmed, add the pie crust cutouts to the top and gently press into the mousse.

Notes

• Scant cups - This is a fancy way of saying “a little less than”. When you pour the aquafaba from a can of chickpeas and measure it, it’ll most likely be just under 1 cup. Unless you’re such a good person that you soak your own chickpeas to make aquafaba and silently judge the rest of us for our canned beans….

• Cream of tartar - Sounds weird, but it helps the aquafaba stiffen as it whips.

• Black cocoa powder - I was worried that using too much real chocolate would keep the mousse from being fluffy, so I also used black cocoa to keep it light but keep the flavor deep, dark and rich. The black cocoa by Hershey’s that I use is available in pretty much every grocery store.

• Coffee/Espresso - Because it accents chocolate so well and adds to the richness. Using strong coffee ensures that its flavor really gets in there, so whether it’s real espresso or a triple-batch of your daily Folger’s, it doesn’t matter.

• Towel while whipping/Holding stiff peaks - I suggest placing a towel over the mixer while whipping just to save your kitchen from getting sprayed (Not gonna lie, I usually forget). And to test if the aquafaba can hold stiff peaks, scoop a spoonful out, hold it upside down and jiggle it a little. If it stays in a sturdy little fluff on the spoon, it’s good.

• Microwaving chocolate 30 seconds at a time - In case you didn’t already know, chocolate can burn. And it’s especially easy to do in the microwave. Melting the chocolate with the liquids and stirring them well between trips to the microwave ensures that the chocolate melts evenly. If your chocolate seizes and becomes hard or gritty, you’ve killed it. You’ll need to start over, womp womp.

• Folding in the aquafaba - Folding ingredients in means to scrape around the edge of a bowl and pull that stuff inward, continuing around and around the bowl till everything is well-mixed. It’s a very gentle way to mix that keeps the air in whipped ingredients, instead of stirring from the center and deflating them. This method ensures that the aquafaba won’t lose more volume than it has to. It will get weighed down by the heavy chocolate mixing in, but the more you stir it, the more the aquafaba loses, which will add up to a visually-unsatisfying short pie. It’ll still be delicious, though…

One of the best holiday traditions is eating the desserts for breakfast the next day. This classic chocolate pie’s velvety richness will taste excellent with tomorrow’s morning cup of coffee and soothe you into the regular week.