Dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, ummm… what else is there?

Chocolate! This sweet treat is 100% not chocolate-free. Now maybe it’s the impending grey of winter constantly looming in my mind, or maybe it’s just because I am a human equipped with the full range of taste buds, but whatever the reason, my chocolate tooth has been in full effect lately. And one can only eat so many 90% cocoa dark chocolate bars.

Enter, Mademoiselle Mousse. Creator, Terri Blair combined her love of decadent French food with her knowledge of how really bad decadent French food is for you to create this happy little love child of guilt-free goodness. Using naturally gluten-free and vegan ingredients, there is nothing fake or questionable in this dessert, just fluffy chocolate that will make you forget you’re vegan, if only for a minute… which is about how long it took me to devour the cup of mousse.

The texture isn’t exactly like the real deal, I’d say it’s more of a mousse-pudding, which I just found out, I really like! It’s lighter and fluffier than pudding by a long shot, and I’d say, about 15% denser than egg and dairy-full mousse. But really, I don’t care, because whatever you decide to call this kind of dessert, it made my mouth smile. Now let’s take a walk down mousse memory lane. One of my favorite parts was gently carving away each bite with my spoon – it holds form the way mousse should, and little air bubbles appear with every scoop. Each bite is filled with rich, smooth dark chocolate and a sweetness that is perfectly balanced with a firm punch of espresso – and if you’re ever going to get punched in the mouth, I do suggest it is with espresso.

This dreamy dessert is delicious. And when you finish the perfectly portioned half cup, and your brain is getting ready to drag you to a dessert-guilt party, your stomach will stand up like the strong, independent organ she is and say, “Hey bud, I feel great. How about you back off and let the lady enjoy her post-dessert bliss for once.”

Mademoiselle Mousse is available at various locations around Seattle and runs at about five to six bucks a cup. It comes in three flavors, Café, L’orange and La Menthe, in order of my favorites.

Mademoiselle Mousse| terri@mademoisellemousse.com | 206.406.5271

Photography by Patricia Orellana