Intensely Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles Food

INTENSELY BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• If you're baking the soufflés right away, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
• Butter the 6oz ramekins and dust the insides with sugar.
• Place the chocolate, butter and milk in a large heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel) 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.
• (Don't worry if the mixture stiffens slightly or is less than perfectly smooth at this point.) Set aside.
• In a medium, dry bowl, beat the egg whites and 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 sugar and beat at high speed until the whites are stiff but not dry.
• Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins, filling each 3/4 full.
• (The soufflés can be prepared to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bake directly from the refrigerator.) Place the soufflés on a cookie sheet.
• Bake until they rise and crack on top and a wooden skewer plunged into the center emerges very moist and gooey (but the centers should not be completely liquid), 14 to 16 minutes, perhaps a minute or so longer if the soufflés have been refrigerated.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Beat the cream with the vanilla and sugar until it holds a soft shape (or stiffer, if you like it that way).
• Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready serve.
• When they are done, remove the soufflés from the oven and serve immediately, with a little powdered sugar sifted over the top, if you like.
• Pass the whipped topping separately.
• NOTES: You can substitute a lower-percentage bittersweet or semisweet chocolate if you prefer a sweeter, less intense chocolate flavor; or reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup to partially compensate for the sweeter chocolate, if desired.
• There is no need to make other changes in the recipe.
• After you have buttered the ramekins, the easiest way to dust sugar on the inside is to put the 2 tablespoons of sugar in one of the buttered ramekins.
• Tilt and hold that ramekin over another as if you were going to transfer the sugar.
• Rotate the ramekin containing the sugar, allowing the sugar to coat the sides as you slowly pour the sugar into the other ramekin.
• Repeat.
• Room temperature eggs are best because a cold egg might cause the chocolate to seize, which means it gets too stiff to work with.
• If you do not have eggs at room temperature, you can hold the egg yolks in a mixing bowl over medium heat (hold the bowl over but not on the burner) to warm them up.
• Underbeating egg whites is always better than overbeating them.
• You want to beat the whites until they're no longer yellow and translucent.
• To get a bigger rise, fill the ramekins higher than suggested.
• This will mean that you will have one or two fewer soufflés.
• Don't worry about underbaking or overbaking this recipe- The souffles will still taste good.

INDIVIDUAL CHEESE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Coat 4 (6 ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add onion and cook for 1 minute.
• Sprinkle with flour.
• Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to pull away from pan.
• Gradually whisk in milk.
• Return to medium heat; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk in a large bowl, the egg yolks, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and garlic powder.
• Temper the yolk mixture, by putting some of it into the onion milk sauce, then add all the onion milk sauce back into large bowl of yolks.
• In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form that do not fall over when the whisk is lifted.
• Gently fold the egg whites and Cheddar into cooled sauce in large bowl.
• Divide mixture evenly among four custard cups.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Put custard cups on a baking sheet so that they are easier to handle.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Souffle should still be moist in center; do not overcook and yes it will fall but that is the nature of a souffle.

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.

WARM CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lighlty spray six 1-cup individual souffle dishes or ramekins with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and hot water, stirring until smooth; set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stir in the canola oil; stirring to combine.
• To the butter mixture, add the flour, ground nuts and cinnamon.
• Cook mixture for approximately 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
• Stir in brown sugar, honey and salt.
• Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add the cocoa mixture.
• Allow mixture to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high setting, beat the egg whites until foamy.
• Add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
• With rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of egg whites into cocoa mixture.
• Then fold in the remaining egg whites, mixing only until no white streaks remain.
• Gently scoop the mixture into prepared dishes and bake until souffle rises above the rim and is set in the center, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using a fine sieve, dust the tops with confectioners sugar and garnish with fresh berries.
• Serve immediately.

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES (MAKE AHEAD)

Steps:

• Butter (8) 1 cup ramekins, then coat evenly with sugar.
• Shake out excess sugar and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Melt 4 tbsp butter and the chocolate in a double boiler.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, salt, and creme de cacao.
• Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the sugar syrup.
• Continue to beat until yolks are thick and pale yellow (3-5 minutes).
• Fold egg yolks into the chocolate along with the orange zest.
• Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a metal bowl, medium speed, for 30 seconds.
• Add the cream of tartar, then gradually add 3 TBSP sugar.
• Beat until the whites hold a 2" peak and are glossy.
• Take 1/4 of the egg whites and energetically stir them into the chocolate mixture.
• Gently fold in the remainder of the whites until just incorporated.
• Fill each ramekin almost to the rim.
• Wipe any filling from the rim with a wet paper towel.
• Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and freeze until firm: at least 3 hours / up to 2 days.
• Place oven rack in the middle, preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove souffles directly from freezer, uncover, and bake until risen: 16-18 minutes.
• Do not thaw the souffle, as it will not rise properly.
• Be careful not to overbake it.