Have you heard of aquafaba? It is the water from a can of chickpeas or other white bean. Not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of making a dessert!
However, it really does work well as an egg replacer in a mousse, making a light and aerated pudding. Here is my first attempt:
Not bad, eh?! For a heavier mousse check out my tofu one…
Ingredients
The water from a can of chickpeas (about 125-150ml)
100g vegan chocolate
2 tablespoons icing sugar (add slightly more or less depending on personal preference and the bitterness of the chocolate)
Instructions
Melt the chocloate in a microwave or using a bain marie. Allow to cool slightly.
Whip up the aquafaba as you would egg white until it forms soft peaks.
Add the icing sugar to the aquafaba and whisk for another minute to combine.
Carefully add the chocolate (if you add too quickly it will simply sink to the bottom) and stir, avoiding knocking the air out!
Chill until ready to serve.
Dust with icing sugar or make chocolate curls if you feel extravagant!
The mousse sets as it chills and mine had a slightly crusty top. Mine was also a bit grainy but I think I added the chocolate before it had cooled enough. However, I quite liked the texture! My mousse had separated a little so I would advise eating within 2 hours unlike the 8 hours of chilling I did!
Who would have thought it was made using chickpea water that is usually thrown away?!
Hot on the heels of her last solved murder and job, Jenny Starling is now employed at an Oxford college for the summer to cater for the conferences scheduled to take place.
But death follows her here too and the head of the taxidemist society is found murdered. There are plenty of suspects but all with alibis. Who could have killed him? A jealous taxidermy rival? His wife or her lover?
Jenny Starling is a great lead character and I loved her matter of fact attitude in the last book as well as this. She is a fab amatuer slueth in the same vein as Miss Marple but considerably younger!
Once again, and just like Miss Marple, the police are reluctant to ask for help but soon find that they rely on her insights to solve the case.
The book is easy to read, feels comfortably and traditionally English, full of red herrings and interesting characters.
The Oxford Mystery kept me guessing until the end and I look forward to seeing where Jenny ends up next…
THE OXFORD MYSTERY by Faith Martin
Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These charming mysteries will have you scratching your head to work out who the murderer is.
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
Please note this book was first published as “DEADLY STUFF” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.
Jenny Starling has a summer job cooking at a prestigious Oxford college. But she’s not expecting murder on the menu.
Then womanising taxidermy society president, Maurice Raines, is found with a knife in his neck in the dining hall.
Everyone is in classes at the time of his death. So, frustratingly it seems they all have an alibi.
However there are many suspects, including Maurice’s wife and his lover.
The college and police need Jenny’s help to solve this perplexing case. But can Jenny keep her concentration with a budding romance on the cards?
This is the fifth in a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final page.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis.
JENNY STARLING
In her late twenties, Jenny Starling is an impressive woman. Physically, she stands at 6ft 1inch, and has shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous (and now very rich) father, is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother.
Jenny drives a disreputable cherry-red van, and is happy travelling the country catering events and cooking great food. She is on a one-woman crusade to bring back ‘real’ food. And definitely doesn’t like having to divert her attention from achieving the perfect Dundee cake or creating a new sauce recipe by having to solve a murder. She finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach.
Nevertheless, she is very good at reading people, and with a quick and agile brain, becomes very good at unmasking killers. And her always-undaunted sense of humour goes a long way in keeping her sane when all around her people are dropping like flies.
THE AUTHOR
FAITH MARTIN is the best-selling author of the DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE mysteries, which have sold over 1 million copies globally in just over a year.
JENNY STARLING MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY
Book 2: THE WINTER MYSTERY
Book 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY
Book 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERY
Book 5: THE OXFORD MYSTERY
More JENNY STARLING mysteries coming soon. Join the Joffe Books mailing list to be the first to hear about the next in the series.
FAITH MARTIN
Faith Martin was born in Oxford, and has spent all her life within twenty miles of the university city, even working at Somerville College for five years before turning to writing full-time. The author of the popular DI Hillary Greene novels, she also writes more classic-style ‘whodunits’ under the pen name Joyce Cato, but began her writing career as Maxine Barry, winning an award for penning romance novels! A popular writer for over 25 years, she has had nearly 50 novels published so far. Her hobbies include walking her now ageing dog, wildlife-watching, reading and (reluctantly) gardening.
March was a busy month for me as a vegan!
I have had some spectatuclar dining out experiences, first at ERIKI to satisfy my curry cravings then at Vegan Foodilic which has redefined my opinion of salad.
I also enjoyed lunch with a friend at a local pub and was in love with their wheat free vegan option (also had chips but they’re not in the pic)!
At home, I haven’t done much cooking due to work being completely exhausting. I did make a tofu mocha mousse which went down well with the kids.
I have relied a lot on ready meals or things that could be made quickly.
The rainbow stew from Aldi was ok but tasted very healthy (does that make sense) so I won’t be having it agian as I’m not a fan of vegetables (despite being vegan!)
Asda’s vegetarian bolognese was ok but a little bland. We will be having it again with some seasoning or chilli to give it a pop of flavour, or add some veg to improve the texture.
Amy’s Kitchen soup was a fab quick snack meal.
Vegable range is good and I like these falafel bites with a saucy centre. Plus a mountain of pasta!
This pizza was much more expensive than I would normally buy but I was desperate to enjoy one (I’m having a real problem with vegan cheese 🙁 )
Finally, snack time! I thought that the Aldi and Lidl fake pringles were the same but I was wrong! The size of the crisps is dfferent, the flavour and texture are different. Can I pick a favourite? I think I need to do more testing…
Other vegan highlights have been the Mother’s Day and Spring party at Lush in Basingstoke where I got to introduce my mum and daughter to a range of vegan products. I also attended VegfestUK in Brighton which was really inspiring.
Excitedly, I sampled some delicious crackers, sweet and savoury snacks (my downfall!)
