Easy Chocolate Soufflé
Note: this a reboot post, the original post was published April 18, 2014.
I have been testing cookbooks lately, writing reviews for the BC Review, and the most recent one coincided nicely with Valentine’s Day. Chocolate All Day: From Simple to Decadent, 100+ Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Ingredient
by Steven Hodge is a recent release.
I’ve been a fan of Hodge’s ever since he opened up Temper Pastry in Dundarave in 2014. My friend Pam lived in the neighbourhood, and she introduced me to Temper (and Steven), and it became a go-to spot for me for croissants and coffee.
One of the recipes I tested in Chocolate All Day was for a chocolate soufflé. I mean, what’s more perfect for Valentine’s Day? This was not my first soufflé rodeo, though, Michael and I had taken a cooking class at The Dirty Apron in 2014 and learned how to make soufflé for the first time. It turned out surprisingly well, given that Michael was 10 at the time.
Here’s the thing: people are intimidated by soufflé, right? I mean, it has a reputation. It’s finnicky, don’t open the oven, it’ll fall! But it’s actually a lot easier to make, and a lot less intimidating that you probably think, so give it a go the next time you want to impress someone.
Cute pic of the 10-year-old and his soufflé:
I think it’s important to note here that the 10-yr-old’s favourite part was using the stick blender with the whip attachment to make the meringue. Boys never really outgrow their love for power tools, do they?
Easy Chocolate Soufflé
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand-held mixer
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup good quality dark chocolate
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 6 eggs divided
- butter & sugar for prepping the ramekins
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prep the ramekins by buttering them, and then coating them with a layer of sugar. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to fill them.
- Over a double-boiler, melt the butter, and then add the chocolate. Stir gently, and allow to melt. Once it's melted, mix it all together until it's smooth and glossy, and then set aside to cool a little.
- Carefully separate the eggs, and begin beating the whites in a large bowl with a whisk, or ideally, with electric beaters. Beat them until they reach a soft peak, and then slowly add the sugar, and continue to beat until they are stiff and glossy and form solid peaks. You should be able to to turn the bowl upside-down when they are ready.
- Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl, and then slowly and carefully add them to the chocolate mixture. Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
- Now, carefully fold the chocolate/yolk mixture into your egg whites, using an over/under motion with a spatula. When everything is all mixed, pour the batter into your prepared ramekins, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up.
- Place on a baking sheet, and then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven, dust with icing sugar, and eat while still warm.