Grandma Elsie’s Vegan Chocolate Pudding (with a kick)

Total time: 10 minutes plus time for chilling

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup organic sugar
2. 3/4 cup water
3. 8 ounces high-quality unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
4. 1 pound silken tofu
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 teaspoon Grandma Elsie’s spice mix
7. 1/2 teaspoon chile powder or cayenne pepper
8. Chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat. Break chocolate into small pieces and add to the hot sugar-water. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Put all the ingredients except the chocolate shavings into a blender and purée until smooth. Stop blender to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, if needed.
3. Divide contents into 6 ramekins and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. Garnish with chocolate shavings before serving. 

Notes:

The combination of cinnamon, sugar, chile, and chocolate will remind you of Mexican hot chocolate. Use the best quality chocolate you can find. We love Scharffen Berger unsweetened dark chocolate. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for the sugar. If you want an extra kick, add a tablespoon of Cointreau or cognac before blending.