Chocolate Souffle
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Rather than one large soufflé, you can make individual ones. To do so, completely fill eight 8-ounce ramekins with the chocolate mixture, making sure to clean each rim with a wet paper towel and reduce baking time to sixteen to eighteen minutes. For a mocha-flavored soufflé, add one tablespoon of instant coffee powder dissolved in one tablespoon of hot water when adding the vanilla to the chocolate mixture. If you are microwave oriented, melt the chocolate at 50 percent power for three minutes, stirring in the butter after two minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter inside of 2-quart soufflé dish with the 1 tablespoon softened butter, then coat inside of dish evenly with the 1 tablespoon sugar; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Melt chocolate and remaining butter in medium bowl set over pan of simmering water. Turn off heat, stir in salt, vanilla, and liqueur; set aside.
- In medium bowl, beat yolks and remaining sugar with electric mixer set on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate mixture. Clean beaters.
- In medium bowl, beat whites with electric mixer set on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat on high speed to stiff, moist peaks. (Mixture should just hold the weight of a raw egg in the shell when the egg is placed on top.)
- Vigorously stir one-quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture. Following illustrations below, gently fold remaining whites into mixture until just incorporated. Spoon mixture into prepared dish; bake until exterior is set but interior is still a bit loose and creamy, about 25 minutes. (Soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen. Use two large spoons to pull open the top and peek inside. If not yet done, place back in oven.) Serve immediately.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
After trying several bases for our chocolate soufflé recipe, we found that we consistently preferred a béchamel base. We noted, however, that the milk muted the chocolate flavor in our soufflé recipe. To achieve a full chocolate flavor, we ended up removing the milk and the flour, separating the eggs (whipping the whites separately), increasing the amount of chocolate, and reducing the amount of butter. The base now consisted of egg yolks beaten with sugar until thick, giving the soufflé plenty of volume but eliminating the flavor-muting milk and giving the soufflé intense chocolate flavor.
Before You Begin
Rather than one large soufflé, you can make individual ones. To do so, completely fill eight 8-ounce ramekins with the chocolate mixture, making sure to clean each rim with a wet paper towel and reduce baking time to sixteen to eighteen minutes. For a mocha-flavored soufflé, add one tablespoon of instant coffee powder dissolved in one tablespoon of hot water when adding the vanilla to the chocolate mixture. If you are microwave oriented, melt the chocolate at 50 percent power for three minutes, stirring in the butter after two minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter inside of 2-quart soufflé dish with the 1 tablespoon softened butter, then coat inside of dish evenly with the 1 tablespoon sugar; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Melt chocolate and remaining butter in medium bowl set over pan of simmering water. Turn off heat, stir in salt, vanilla, and liqueur; set aside.
- In medium bowl, beat yolks and remaining sugar with electric mixer set on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate mixture. Clean beaters.
- In medium bowl, beat whites with electric mixer set on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat on high speed to stiff, moist peaks. (Mixture should just hold the weight of a raw egg in the shell when the egg is placed on top.)
- Vigorously stir one-quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture. Following illustrations below, gently fold remaining whites into mixture until just incorporated. Spoon mixture into prepared dish; bake until exterior is set but interior is still a bit loose and creamy, about 25 minutes. (Soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen. Use two large spoons to pull open the top and peek inside. If not yet done, place back in oven.) Serve immediately.
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