TIP OF THE DAY: Substitute Tofu For Cream & Try This Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe

August 21, 2013 at 8:07 am · Filed under Lactose-Free, Rice-Beans-Grains-Seeds, Vegan

Soft tofu can be turned into a substitute for
heavy cream. Photo courtesy House Foods.

We learned from Japanese and Asian-influenced restaurants that you can have lush, creamy tofu-based desserts and not even notice there’s no cream. Substituting tofu for heavy cream helps to save calories and avoid cholesterol. It produces recipes that support kosher, lactose-free and vegan diets. It’s also less expensive than cream, and is available in organic and conventional varieties.

Erin Dow of Guiding Stars shared how to make a heavy cream substitute from soft (silken) tofu.

“Abstaining from heavy cream, regardless of the reason, can pose a serious challenge in the kitchen,” Erin notes. “Its thickening power, its silky rich mouth feel, and the flavor-balancing power of its fat content, are tough to replicate with plant-based alternatives. But for certain applications, a substitute made with silken tofu can help. The recipe is simple.”

RECIPE: SOFT/SILKEN TOFU “HEAVY CREAM”

Combine one part silken tofu with one part liquid of your choice (see last two bullets) in a blender and process until smooth.

If desired, strain through a fine mesh strainer before using.

For sweet recipes, use coconut milk or unsweetened vanilla soy milk for the liquid. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla for every cup of cream you make.

For savory recipes, use almond or oat milk. They will help balance out the flavor without risking a curdled mess.

Soft/silken tofu heavy cream is a great substitute for pastry creams and other desserts, quiches and chocolate truffles and for thinning out frostings and dips. Use it to add body to sauces, gravies and smoothies. Extra firm or firm tofu is used for scrambles, kabobs, stirfries and other mains.

And pudding—chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, etc.: Tofu substitutes easily for cream. The following recipe is dairy free and cholesterol free. It’s a companion to the tofu chocolate mousse recipe we published last year for National Chocolate Mousse Day.

It was created by Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos, hosts of Cooking Channel’s show “Extra Virgin.” Budino is the Italian word for pudding.

RECIPE: TOFU CHOCOLATE BUDINO

Ingredients For 6 Servings

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 package (14 ounces) soft/silken tofu

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

No cholesterol, no lactose. Photo courtesy Cooking Channel.

Preparation

1. COMBINE sugar, water, and cocoa water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cool slightly.

2. MELT chocolate in a glass bowl set over a saucepan of lightly simmering water.

3. PLACE all ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

ABOUT TOFU

Tofu was first created from soybeans more than 2,000 years ago in China. While lots of tofu and soy sauce are consumed, approximately 85% of the world’s soybean crop is processed into soybean meal and vegetable oil.

In Japan, edamame (immature soybeans), miso (soybean paste), natto (fermented soybeans) and kinako (roasted soybean flour) are popular foods. Soy milk, tempeh and textured vegetable protein are increasing in popularity in the U.S.

If you’re ingredient-conscious, look for organic tofu, made from sustainably grown, non-GMO soybeans. Commonly used tofu processing aids such as defoamers, bleaches and preservatives are not used in organic tofu.

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