Date Night Pudding

What's a girl to do when her boyfriend calls her and says "Babe, don't cook dinner. Let's go out"? Well, if you're me, and you know that the desserts at Mellow Mushroom won't satisfy you (even if the tempeh hoagie will), you just whip up some pudding. This dessert is best enjoyed curled up on your couch with your loved one while killing brain cells with American Idol, I mean, staring into each other's eyes.

 Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Makes 3-4 servings

• 6 oz / 170 g bittersweet chocolate or about 1 1/2 chocolate bars
• 6 oz / 170 g light coconut milk or about 3/4 of a cup. (You can also use full fat coconut milk, some other non-dairy milk, cream, etc. The richer the liquid the more decadent the pudding.)
• 6 oz / 170 g silken tofu (shhhh, nobody needs to know!)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Optional: coconut flakes and mint for garnishing.

1.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until all the chocolate has melted. 

2.  Stir in the coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and stir until well combined. Set mixture aside to cool until room temperature, stirring occasionally. 

3.  Break up the tofu into pieces and put it in the food processor. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture. Blend until completely smooth, which could take several minutes, scrapping down the sides with a spatula if needed.

3.  Serve in bowls or fancy glasses. Garnish with coconut flakes and mint if you'd like.  Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving or just enjoy immediately if you need pudding NOW!