Forgotten Chocolate Souffle Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Brush bottom and sides of 2 (5-ounce) ramekins lightly with 1 teaspoon melted butter; cover bottom and sides right up to the rim. Add 1 tablespoon white sugar to ramekins. Rotate ramekins until sugar coats all surfaces. Pour off extra sugar.
• Place chocolate pieces in a metal mixing bowl. Place bowl over a pan of about 3 cups hot water over low heat. Do not let water boil or come to a simmer.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour. Whisk until flour is incorporated into butter and mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in cold milk until mixture becomes smooth and thickens, 2 or 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer mixture to bowl with melted chocolate. Add salt and very small pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix together thoroughly. Add egg yolk and mix to combine. Leave bowl above the hot (not simmering) water to keep chocolate warm while you whip the egg whites.
• Place 2 egg whites in a mixing bowl; add cream of tartar. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken and a drizzle from the whisk stays on the surface about 1 second before disappearing into the mix, 2 or 3 minutes. Add 1/3 of sugar and whisk in. Whisk in a bit more sugar about 15 seconds; whisk in the rest of the sugar. Continue whisking until mixture is about as thick as shaving cream and holds soft peaks, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer a little less than half of egg whites to chocolate. Mix until egg whites are thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the rest of the egg whites; gently fold into the chocolate with a spatula, lifting from the bottom and folding over. Stop mixing after the egg white disappears. Divide mixture between 2 prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until scuffles are puffed and have risen above the top of the rims, 12 to 15 minutes.

EASY CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Separate eggs; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Coat six 6-oz. souffle dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar into each dish, tilting to cover the bottom and sides; set aside., Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk corn syrup, cocoa, egg yolks and vanilla until blended; set aside. In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold a fourth of the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; fold in remaining egg white mixture., Spoon batter into prepared dishes. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Butter a soufflé dish and dust with sugar, tapping out excess.
• Preheat oven to 430F.
• Melt chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Whisk butter into hot chocolate; add yolks and combine well.
• Beat egg whites until frothy.
• Beat in sugar gradually, and beat until whites hold stiff peaks.
• Lighten chocolate mixture with ¼ of the whites, and then gently fold in remaining whites (a few white streaks may show, and this is not a problem).
• Pour into prepared dish.
• Put dish in slightly larger baking pan and add enough hot water in second pan to reach 1/3 up the side of the soufflé dish.
• Bake for 40 minutes (center will be very soft).
• Give a light dusting of icing sugar over top, bring to table immediately.
• Serve with Whipped Cream.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 1 1/2-quart tall-sided baking dish. Coat with sugar, tapping out excess. Set dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
• In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, 20 minutes.
• Stir egg yolks into cooled chocolate mixture until well combined. Set souffle base aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes (do not overbeat).
• In two additions, fold egg-white mixture into souffle base: With a rubber spatula, gently cut down through center and lift up some base from bottom of bowl. Turning bowl, steadily continue to cut down and lift up base until just combined.
• Transfer mixture to dish, taking care not to get batter on top edge of dish; smooth top. Bake souffle until puffed and set, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not open oven during first 25 minutes of baking.) Serve immediately.

DARK CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES WITH CARDAMOM CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Place chocolate and butter in medium bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in small bowl. Bring milk and vanilla to boil in heavy small saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into sugar mixture to blend. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until thick paste forms, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Scrape mixture into bowl with chocolate and butter; stir until chocolate is melted (mixture may look curdled). Add egg yolks and whisk until mixture looks shiny and creamy. (Soufflé base can be prepared 1 day ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface and refrigerate. Bring soufflé base to room temperature before continuing.)
• Butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups; dust with sugar. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until frothy. With mixer running, gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, then salt; beat just until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into soufflé base until well combined. Gently fold in remaining egg whites just to blend (some white streaks may remain). Divide batter among prepared dishes. Place dishes on rimmed baking sheet. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake soufflés until puffed above rim of dish, tops are flat, and edges are set, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately with Cardamom Crème Anglaise.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Butter and dust with about 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 6 (1-cup) souffle dishes. Chill until needed.
• Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolks and the liqueur.
• Whip all 7 egg whites until they form soft peaks. Whip in the lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Continue to whip the whites until they are stiff but still very shiny. Stir a quarter of them into the chocolate mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whites.
• Fill the molds with the souffle mixture. Run your thumb around the inside edge of each dish so that the souffles will form a hat. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the middle is still just a little soft.
• Serve on napkin-lined dessert plates. Dust the tops with powdered sugar, if desired, and spoon a dollop of whipped cream into the center of each souffle. Serve immediately.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Break the chocolate into pieces and process in a food processor until very fine.
• Heat the creme fraiche to boiling point and with the processor's motor running, pour it through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process a few seconds until smooth.
• Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the hot chocolate mixture. Process for a few seconds to incorporate. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool until it has thickened to spreading consistency.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Stir about one-fourth of the whites into the chocolate mixture and then carefully fold in the remaining whites until uniform. Pour the mixture into a prepared six-cup souffle dish with a foil collar and freeze for at least three hours. Store up to three days.
• When ready to serve, carefully remove the foil collar and serve at once.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE EVER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter soufflé dish and sprinkle with sugar.
• Knock out any excess sugar.
• Divide the egg yolks from the egg whites Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (or a double-boiler, if you have one), stirring until the chocolate is melted and uniformly smooth.
• Remove bowl from heat and stir in yolks.
• Beat whites in a large bowl until they just hold soft peaks.
• Add 1/3 cup sugar, a little at a time, continuing to beat, then beat at a higher speed until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir about 1 cup whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then gently yet thoroughly fold mixture into remaining whites.
• Transfer mixture into soufflé dish.
• Bake in center of oven until it appears cooked and crusted on top but is still jiggly in center (roughly 25 minutes).
• Serve immediately.

NEVER-FAIL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine cocoa and cornstarch thoroughly.
• Add a little of the cream and whisk to make a smooth paste.
• Whisk in remaining cream and the liqueur.
• I have made this with Kahlua, Grand Marnier, Chambord and brandy-- they're all good.
• If you use the evaporated milk instead of cream, expect the mixture to be pretty soupy.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until almost stiff.
• Slowly beat in sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
• Now gently whisk a quarter of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture.
• Gently fold in another quarter.
• Now add all this mixture into the remainder of the egg whites and gently fold until well blended.
• Spoon the souffle batter into 6-to-8 1/2-cup sized custard cups.
• The volume you get will depend on how well you beat the egg whites and if you folded them into the cocoa mixture without deflating them too much.
• Don't worry, even if you only get 6 they will be wonderful.
• Set custard cups into a deep baking pan and carry this to the oven.
• Open oven, pull out rack, and set down pan.
• Now pour very hot tap water in the baking pan to come up about one-inch around the outside of the custard cups.
• (I do it this way so I don't have to carry the pan with the souffles and water to the oven-- it's heavy and you risk sloshing water into your souffles.) Slide in oven rack, close oven door and bake for 25 minutes.
• The centres will be a little runny, as they should be.
• Serve immediately.