Souffles - the thought of baking one usually scares the crap out of most home cooks. But seriously, accept that you're going to muck it up for at least the first three or four attempts, but once you get past that (and figure out where they went wrong), you'll be able to impress your dinner guests no end. And anyway, if it doesn't rise, you just call it a mousse.
Technically speaking though, this recipe isn't a souffle. But it rises like a souffle, has the texture of a souffle, and it tastes like a souffle. And it's a lot easier than making a souffle the traditional way (which involves making a custard from scratch....use that premix custard and it's not going to work)
The recipe is by Alice Medrich, an Amercian expert on chocolate.
Special Equipment
Electric mixer
4 11cm diameter ramekins
Ingredients:
100g of chocolate (I like to use the 70% cocoa Lindt chocolate)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
3 medium eggs, separated
1 extra egg white
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup castor sugar
an extra knob or two of butter and castor sugar
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius.
Get the ramekins, butter the inside of the ramekins and sprinkle them with sugar.
Place the choclate, butter, and milk in a large heatproof bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the water bath and whisk in the egg yolks. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Gradually sprinkle in the 1/3 cup of sugar and beat at high speed until the whites are stiff but not dry. Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Divide the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place the souffles onto a baking tray and bake until they rise and crack on top (this should take about 15 to 17 minutes). Serve them straight away, with a dollop of double creme if you like.
Technically speaking though, this recipe isn't a souffle. But it rises like a souffle, has the texture of a souffle, and it tastes like a souffle. And it's a lot easier than making a souffle the traditional way (which involves making a custard from scratch....use that premix custard and it's not going to work)
The recipe is by Alice Medrich, an Amercian expert on chocolate.
Special Equipment
Electric mixer
4 11cm diameter ramekins
Ingredients:
100g of chocolate (I like to use the 70% cocoa Lindt chocolate)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
3 medium eggs, separated
1 extra egg white
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup castor sugar
an extra knob or two of butter and castor sugar
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius.
Get the ramekins, butter the inside of the ramekins and sprinkle them with sugar.
Place the choclate, butter, and milk in a large heatproof bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the water bath and whisk in the egg yolks. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Gradually sprinkle in the 1/3 cup of sugar and beat at high speed until the whites are stiff but not dry. Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Divide the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place the souffles onto a baking tray and bake until they rise and crack on top (this should take about 15 to 17 minutes). Serve them straight away, with a dollop of double creme if you like.
