Warm Milk Chocolate Souffles With Vanilla Ice Cream Food

MILK-CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in lower third. Butter six 6-ounce ramekins; coat with sugar. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat chocolate in small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted, then stir until smooth. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Bring milk, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low. In a large bowl, whisk together yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and whisk until well combined.
• Remove vanilla bean from milk mixture (discard or reserve for another use), then gradually add half to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Bring just to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer until thick and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in melted chocolate. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of mixture. Let cool completely.
• In another bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until peaks are stiff and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Spoon one-quarter of whites mixture into custard base, then whisk thoroughly until smooth. Gently fold in remaining whites mixture until combined. (Don't worry if some streaks remain.) Divide evenly among prepared ramekins. Bake until risen and set, 16 to 18 minutes. Serve immediately, with sweetened whipped cream.

HOT VANILLA SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 4 to 6 individual souffle dishes (or a 7-cup souffle dish) well with melted butter. Put the sugar inside one dish and toss to coat, then tip the excess sugar into the next dish and repeat. Place the dishes in the refrigerator to chill.
• Reserving 1/3 cup of the milk, place the remaining 1 cup in a large saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and heat just to a boil, then turn off the heat and set aside to let the vanilla bean infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the flour, and the reserved 1/3 cup milk. Add a little of the hot milk and whisk to combine, then add the flour mixture to the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, stir, cover, and set aside 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the egg yolks.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Fold into the milk mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, filling them 3/4 full. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each dish, making a shallow "moat" around the edge of the batter. This will help the souffles to rise straight up. Dust the surfaces with confectioners' sugar. (The souffles can stand at this point for up to 30 minutes.) Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and light golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door unless absolutely necessary.
• Satin Chocolate Sauce: Combine the 2 chocolates over simmering water in the top half of a double boiler. Stir constantly until melted, then whisk in the syrup and water without removing the double boiler from the heat. Whisk until smooth and shiny. (The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. To rewarm, stir over low heat or heat in a microwave.) At the table, serve the hot souffles by poking a hole in each one and pouring chocolate sauce into the hole, then drizzling sauce over the tops. For a large souffle, spoon onto dessert plates and drizzle sauce on each serving.

WARM MILK CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Coat soufflé dishes with sugar. Arrange soufflé dishes on heavy large baking sheet. Stir milk chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until chocolate mixture is melted and smooth (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Cool chocolate mixture to lukewarm.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar in large bowl until pale, thick, and tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into lukewarm chocolate mixture to lighten. Gently fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture. Spoon into prepared dishes, dividing equally. Smooth tops.
• Bake until soufflés rise and edges are crisp and dark brown but centers are still soft, about 25 minutes. Dust tops with powdered sugar. Transfer to plates. Serve immediately, passing ice cream separately.

VANILLA SOUFFLE AND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Butter and sugar eight 6-ounce souffle dishes, including the rim of each dish. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine milk and vanilla bean with scrapings. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Remove bean from milk, and reserve for another use.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and salt. Add 1/2 cup steeped milk, whisking to combine and form a paste. Transfer paste to saucepan with milk, and cook over medium heat while whisking constantly until thickened and smooth, about 5 to 8 minutes. If the mixture begins to get lumpy, remove from heat, and whisk until smooth. Remove saucepan from heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath: Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract to milk mixture, and whisk to combine. Transfer souffle base mixture to a shallow 1-quart container. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set saucepan in the ice-water bath to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove souffle base from refrigerator, and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 5 egg whites on low speed with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar while slowly increasing the speed of the mixer until it is on high. Whip until egg whites are stiff and shiny.
• Gently fold egg whites into the souffle base in three additions. Divide between prepared dishes, gently tap on each dish on the work surface, and place on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven, and bake until dark golden and the sides appear spongelike, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with vanilla bean ice cream.

HOT VANILLA SOUFFLéS WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter four 8-ounce or six 5-ounce soufflé ramekins. Put a couple of tablespoons of the sugar inside one ramekin and toss to coat, then tip the excess sugar into the next, and repeat until all the ramekins are sugar-coated. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
• In a large saucepan, add the milk and the vanilla bean and heat just to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to let the vanilla bean infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and rinse and reserve for another use.
• To make the pastry cream, in a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the sugar with the egg yolks until thick and light, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Add a little of the warm infused milk and whisk to combine. Add the remaining milk. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 45 to 60 seconds; it will be lumpy. Remove it from the heat and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• To beat the egg whites, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites begin to form soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add about a quarter of the beaten egg whites to the pastry cream mixture and stir until well mixed. Pour this mixture over the remaining whites and fold them together as lightly as possible.
• To assemble the soufflés, spoon the mixture into the prepared soufflé ramekins (the mixture should come up to the top). Smooth the tops with a metal spatula. Run your thumb around the inside of the rim of each dish, making a shallow channel around the edge of the batter. (This will help the soufflés rise up straight and tall.) Set the filled soufflé ramekins on the rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake the soufflés until risen and just set, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. With two forks, pull open the center of each soufflé. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the opening. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

HOT FUDGE BROWNIE SOUFFLE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F.
• Butter a 1-quart soufflé dish and sprinkle with sugar.
• Melt butter with chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• Blend in ¼ cup of sugar, yolks, coffee mixture and vanilla; stir in flour (can be prepared several hours ahead and set aside at cool room temperature. Reheat before continuing.) Beat whites in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar, beating, until whites are stiff but not dry.
• Fold ¼ of whites into chocolate mixture, then fold chocolate back into whites (be careful not to deflate - a few streaks of white may remain).
• Gently turn batter into prepared dish.
• Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
• Bake 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400F and continue baking until puffed, about 20 minutes (center will remain moist).
• Serve immediately with sauce.
• (and remember - A SOUFFLE WAITS FOR NO ONE).
• Vanilla Ice Cream Sauce: Let ice cream soften 10 minutes; add rum and beat until smooth.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with the rack in lower third. Place six 10-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush inside ramekins with butter. Dust with sugar, and tap out excess. Using kitchen twine, secure a strip of parchment paper around each ramekin so that parchment extends 3 inches above rim. Chill in freezer 15 minutes (up to overnight).
• Bring milk almost to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Put 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour. Add about one-third of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, beating until just combined.
• Pour yolk mixture back into pan with the remaining milk. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in chocolate, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. The souffle base can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, until ready to bake the souffles.
• Put egg whites and a pinch of salt into a large copper bowl. Using a balloon whisk, beat until foamy. (Alternatively, beat egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar instead of the salt in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.) Add 1 tablespoon sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining tablespoon sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gradually fold in remaining egg whites.
• Carefully pour batter into prepared ramekins on baking sheet, filling to just below rims. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees; bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment. Poke a hole in top of each, and pour in caramel creme anglaise. Serve immediately.

WARM CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES WITH PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff but not dry.
• Whisk yolks, flour and vanilla into melted chocolate mixture. Fold in 1/3 of egg whites to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Divide soufflé mixture evenly among soufflé dishes. Transfer to baking sheet. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
• Bake soufflés until edges are set but tester inserted into center comes out with wet batter attached, about 15 minutes if baked immediately or 20 minutes if refrigerated overnight. Serve immediately with Pistachio Ice Cream.