Vegan Sunflower chocolate mousse with a coconut, lime and lemongrass mousseline by Danielle Maupertuis
Belgium-born Danielle Maupertuis is a highly acclaimed vegan pastry chef in the UK, as well as an author, presenter, and trainer at The Vegetarian Society.
With over 40 years of professional baking experience internationally, she has worked as an executive pastry chef in 5-star hotels in the UK (Marriott, Red Carnation Luxury Hotels) and abroad in countries such as Greece and Lebanon.
Her professional challenge is to convince people that vegan desserts are easy to prepare, delicious, and have a fantastic presentation. This is why she published the book “Vegans Deserve Better Than a Fruit Salad,” with over 60 recipes.
She loves sharing her passion for vegan pastry and is a regular on BBC Three Counties radio. She has also catered for corporate events and presented cookery demonstrations at The Ideal Home Exhibition, The Foodies Festival, The Free From and Allergy Show, Yours Magazine, and VegfestUK. And that’s not all. Danielle recently launched her fine dining vegan/gluten-free baking classes at the legendary Divertimenti Masterclasses.
Below, we share this plant-based and gluten-free dessert featuring sunflower seeds in various preparations, from a French sable breton to a caramel, a vegan chocolate mousse, and a “napkin.” It’s finished with a coconut, lime, and lemongrass mousseline cream, a golden lace tuile, and a chocolate glaze.
Vegan Sunflower chocolate mousse
Sunflower French sable breton
- 50 g cold vegan butter alternative
- 75 g icing sugar
- 125 g gluten-free plain flour
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 25 g dairy-free milk alternative
- 15 g roasted crushed sunflower seeds
Beat the vegan block and the sugar until fluffy consistency. Incorporate the milk alternative.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, add them to the previous mix.
Roll out between 2 parchment sheets, cut discs Ø7cm. Leave the stainless ring while baking. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes at 195˚C/ 383˚ F. Remove the ring and bake for another 8 minutes. With this technique, the pastry edges will remain equally straight.
Sunflower seeds caramel
- 50 g golden unrefined sugar
- 10 g vegan block
- 25 g plant-based double cream
- 12 g crushed sunflower seeds
Warm up the sugar to 165˚C / 330˚ F, add the vegan block. Slowly incorporate the cream and pine nuts. Give it a last stir.
Vegan chocolate mousse with a sunflower seeds paste
- 40 g sunflower seeds paste
- 15 g golden unrefined caster sugar
- 45 g vegan dark chocolate 72%
- 30 g dairy-free milk alternative
- 45 g plant-based double cream
Bring the milk alternative to a boil.
Cut the chocolate into small pieces, incorporate them into the boiling milk. Stir until smooth and velvety.
Out of the heat, incorporate the sugar and sunflower paste, give it a last stir.
Whisk the double cream. Fold the ganache into the cream.
Coconut, lime, lemongrass mousseline cream
- 150 g coconut milk
- 1 ½ stalk lemongrass
- 100 g coconut/lemongrass milk
- 20 g white caster sugar
- 10 g cornflour
- 40 g vegan block at room temperature
- Zest of ½ organic lime
1 day before:Infuse the lemongrass into the coconut milk. Let it rest overnight.
Next day: Prepare a “crème pat” with the coconut milk, sugar and cornflour. Allow to cool down.
Beat the vegan block and gradually incorporate the “crème pat”.
Golden lace tuile
- 30 g rapeseed oil
- 60 g water
- 10 g gluten-free plain flour
- 1 pinch of xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp cornflour
- golden dust
1 day before: Mix all the ingredients, except the golden dust. Let the tuile mix set in the fridge.
Next day: Drop some small dots on a silicone mat, bake for 15 minutes at 190˚C/ 375˚F.
Lightly brush them with some golden dust.
Sunflower seeds “napkin”
- 60 g water
- ¼ tsp agar agar powder
- 2 tsp crushed roasted sunflower seeds
Dissolve the agar powder in the water, bring to a boil. Pour over a silicone mat and sprinkle the sunflower seeds.
When the jelly is set, cut discs Ø 4cm.
Chocolate wave
- 50 g vegan dark chocolate 72%
Temper the chocolate, spread over an acetate sheet, pass with a comb, and transfer onto an “accordeon” tray.
Chocolate glaze
- 215 g soya milk
- 140 g glucose syrup DE 40/44
- 100 g caster sugar
- 6,5 g pectin X58
- 40 g caster sugar
- 130 g dark chocolate 60/70%
Mix the pectin with the sugar.
Heat the soy milk with the glucose and first sugar to 45°C / 113˚F. Gradually add the second sugar and pectin mix, bring to 85°C / 185˚ F. Blend this mix with the dark chocolate.
Leave to rest overnight.
When using, melt the glaze to 45˚C.Leave to cool to 35/36˚C / 95/97˚ F. Blend just before using.
Assembly
Pipe the chocolate mousse into the savarin moulds 7 cm diameter, transfer them to the freezer or blast chiller.Pipe the mousseline cream into half sphere moulds 3 cm diameter, transfer them to the freezer or blast chiller.
Bring the chocolate glaze at the right temperature, as explained in the chocolate glaze method. Unmould the chocolate mousses, place them on a rack, cover them with the chocolate glaze.
Place each chocolate mousse on top of the sable Breton base. Fill the hole of the savarin with the sunflower caramel. Unmould the mousseline creams, stick 2 pieces together, and place them on top of the caramel.
Prepare the sunflower seeds napkin as explained in the method, place a disc over each mousseline ball. Stick a chocolate wave on the side of the dessert, and finish with a lace tuile.
