Chocolate Soufflé


Chocolate Soufflé
chocolate soufflé photo by carmen troesser


A soufflé is simply a combination of custard and egg whites. Here's the easy part for the cook: The base of the soufflé - béchamel sauce - can be made ahead of time, even days ahead of time. Béchamel is a simple cream sauce made by cooking butter and flour together, then adding milk and bringing it to a boil. For a chocolate dessert soufflé, this base is then flavored with chocolate, vanilla, sugar, salt and egg yolks. At that point, the sauce can be refrigerated and baked later.


Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup flour
1½ cups milk
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 egg yolks
1½ cups sugar, divided
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 egg whites



Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour, stirring to make a paste. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute.

• Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until thick and smooth.

• Remove from heat and add the chocolate (the hot liquid will melt the chocolate).

• In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, 1 cup of sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until well-combined.

• Stir the yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture.

• Whip the egg whites until they hold peaks, then add ½ cup of sugar and continue whipping until the whites are stiff.

• Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

• Butter eight 6-ounce ramekins and place them on a sheet pan. Fill each ramekin to the top with the soufflé batter.

• Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and browned.

• Serve immediately.



Tags : Chocolate