Warm Chocolate Souffles

I love it when Italians ask me for a recipe! It’s seems that I’m so often asking them how to make another delicious dish that I feel honored to think they want to know how to make one of mine! And that’s exactly what’s happened when I’ve served these Warm Chocolate Souffles to my Italian friends!

We love having guests in our home! I don’t know what you’re like when you have guests over. Some people thrive on chaos and and get a rush from last minute confusion. I’m not one of those. And that’s one reason I absolutely love this dessert. These souffles can be made ahead and frozen until you’re ready to enjoy them. How convenient is that? I usually make them several days ahead, and then when we sit down to enjoy dinner, I pop them into the oven and 40 minutes later, my guests are ooohhing and aaahhhing over their fluffy Chocolate Souffle!

I start by preparing the individual dishes…You can use custard cups, coffee cups, or any small, oven-safe bowls. If you don’t have anything like this, look for them at a second-hand shop or flea market. I picked these up at a second-hand store in Germany for about 50 cents each.

First I butter them. Then, I put a little sugar in each bowl…

Next, I start making the chocolate filling.

I put 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan and add some flour and unsweetened cocoa powder…and a dash of salt…

Once it boils, I keep whisking the mixture for about two minutes…just to thicken it up.

Now this chocolate filling needs to cool, before we fold it into the egg whites. If you’re in a big hurry, you can place your pan in a bowl of ice water…

…or you can move the filling from the hot pan into a clean bowl where it will cool off more quickly.

I put 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan and add some flour and unsweetened cocoa powder…and a dash of salt…

Once it boils, I keep whisking the mixture for about two minutes…just to thicken it up.

Now this chocolate filling needs to cool, before we fold it into the egg whites. If you’re in a big hurry, you can place your pan in a bowl of ice water…

picture

…or you can move the filling from the hot pan into a clean bowl where it will cool off more quickly.

While the filling is cooling, I separate six eggs. When I’m doing this many eggs, I usually separate the white into a smaller bowl in case I get any yolk in it. Getting any yolk or grease in the egg white is a BIG no-no when you want to whip them up. By separating the eggs one at a time, I avoid messing up the whole batch on the fifth or sixth egg…

Ideally the egg whites should be “stiff but not dry” but I’ve found that very hard to achieve. I always want to make sure they’re stiff enough to hold up, so often I over-beat them.

Just wanted to let you know that in case you had the same problem…don’t quit now, even if they’re a little dry!

When the egg whites get a little dry, it just takes a little longer to fold the chocolate filling into them. Nothing that can’t be overcome.

It really hard to show with photos how to fold the mixtures together…I need a video to show that!

Now I can spoon the mixture into my prepared bowls…

At this point, you have a choice. Since souffles “fall” if they sit for any length of time, either before or after baking, you have two delicious choices…

1. You can place them on a baking sheet and bake them right now at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)…and be ready to enjoy them in about 45 minutes, or…

2) Do as I do. Cover them with plastic wrap…and place them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. Isn’t that convenient?

You can prepare the souffles to this point the day before…the week before…and then just pop them in the oven when you sit down to eat. They’ll be puffy and gorgeous as soon as you’re done with dinner–just in time for dessert!

I like to poke a hole in the top of each one and fill it with a few tablespoons of Warm Chocolate Sauce or Creme Anglais (recipes below) before I place them before my guests. Or before myself!

So that’s how you make ‘em–Warm Chocolate Souffles. Easier than you’d think! And the convenience of this freshly baked, elegant dessert is hard to beat! Plus it’s fabulously oooey and gooey and delicious!

Ciao!

Debbie

Warm Chocolate Souffle

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• Softened butter or cooking spray

• 1/2 C. (120 g) sugar plus a little for coating bowls

• 3 T. flour

• 3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

• Pinch of salt

• 1 1/4 C. (300 ml) milk (skim, low fat or whole)

• 3 oz. (85 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 1/3 C. semisweet chocolate chips)

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 egg yolk

• 6 large egg whites

Instructions

1. Lightly coat six individual soufflé dishes with butter (or cooking spray). Sprinkle with a little sugar, rotating each dish so the sugar adheres to the buttered sides.

2. Combine 1/2 C. sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk and begin heating over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. Remove from heat and add the bittersweet chocolate. Set aside for 2-3 minutes, and then stir in the chocolate”which will have melted; set aside to cool. If you’re in a hurry, place the pan in a bowl of cold water, or transfer the chocolate mixture to a medium-sized bowl where it can cool more quickly. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla.

3. Once the chocolate is cool, place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat at high speed just until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted out.

4. Gently fold a quarter of the beaten egg whites into the cooled chocolate mixture. Then, gently fold the two mixtures together until they are even in color.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes. You can either: 1) Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 40 minutes, if you’re prepared to eat them immediately. Once they are baked, they must be eaten right away or they will collapse, or 2) After spooning the mixture into the prepared dishes, cover them with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy them. Then, bake at 350° F (180° C) for 40 minutes.

6. Garnish with Warm Chocolate Sauce, Crème Anglais, or whipped cream, if desired.

Warm Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 T. butter

• 1/3 C. (75 g) sugar

• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 T. flour

• 1/2 C. (125 ml) milk

• 1/2 oz. (15 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 1/8 C. semisweet chocolate chips)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add the sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and the flour; stir well with a whisk.

3. Gradually add the milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk.

4. Remove from heat; add the chopped chocolate; set aside for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt and then stir until smooth. Serve warm.

Crème Anglais

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks

• 1/3 C. sugar

• 1 C. milk

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• Dash of salt

Instructions

1. Combine 3 egg yolks and a dash of salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add the sugar, whisking until thick and pale yellow (about 3 minutes).

2. Heat 1 C. milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat just until tiny bubbles form around edge; do not boil! Remove from heat.

3. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Return the entire mixture to the pan; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon. As before, do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

4. Serve warm.

For additional recipes, please visit: http://ciaofromdebbie.com

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