CHOCOLATE SHOOTING STARS WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS

Chocolate Shooting Stars with Strawberry Coulis image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Yield 8 individual cakes

Number Of Ingredients 23

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup corn oil
6 ounces tofu, pressed dry
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup non-dairy, grain-sweetened chocolate chips
Glaze:
1 cup Dutch cocoa
1/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Coulis, recipe follows
2 cups of fresh strawberries, hulled or thawed frozen strawberries (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup, unless you have freshly picked berries in season
2 tablespoons of organic apple juice, plus additional as needed to thin sauce
2 teaspoons of Grand Marnier, or your favorite orange liqueur
Fresh strawberry slices for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift cocoa, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a blender, combine maple syrup, corn oil, tofu, soy milk, vanilla extract and orange juice. Blend until the mixture achieves a smooth and even consistency. Add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ones. Spoon the batter into oiled a floured star-shaped individual cake pans, filling them no more than 3/4 of the way full. Place about 10 chocolate chips in the center of the batter in the mold to form a "gooey" center. Bake the cakes for 15 to 18 minutes.
Glaze: Sift the cocoa. Whisk it together with maple syrup, corn oil and vanilla. On a low flame, stirring constantly, heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Refrigerate until glaze cools.
In a food processor combine the strawberries, maple syrup, and apple juice. Process until mixture is smooth, being careful not to over-process the berries or they will discolor. Add more apple juice as necessary if sauce is too thick.
Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a nonreactive bowl. Stir in the liqueur. This coulis will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.