Do you remember my Chocolate Ice Cream recipe that you need to wait five days to get the perfect results? That recipe required six egg yolks, and I had to figure out what to do with the leftover egg whites. That’s how I came up with this amazingly delicious Chocolate Souffle.
It turned out that I needed an additional two egg whites for this recipe, but my oh my… it was heavenly. From the outside of the oven window, I could see the souffle rose high above the ramekins. It was a beautiful sight; the texture looked fluffy and airy. After I took out the perfect-looking souffle from the oven, I was mesmerized by the beauty for several seconds, which brought me back to reality. When I realized that, it started to deflate slowly. Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I quickly dusted powder sugar, ran to my “photo studio” (just part of my living room next to a big window), and started taking pictures. No, I wasn’t ready for a photoshoot. As I took pictures, I immediately gathered some props (a spoon, fabrics, etc). The result? I’m unhappy because I couldn’t capture my perfectly risen souffle!
It was probably the most challenging food photo I’ve taken, even more time-sensitive than an ice cream shot, and I wasn’t prepared.
The story does have a happy ending. As the souffle beckoned for a bite, I took a big spoonful, rich from the chocolate flavor. I forgot about the chaotic photo session until I started writing. Maybe I’ll have to make it again and retake pictures. I will set up everything this time and run to the “studio” as fast as possible! I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Souffle.
What’s Half-and-Half?
Half-and-half is an American dairy product that blends equal parts whole milk and light cream with a 10-12% fat content.
If you live outside of the U.S., here is a substitute for 2 cups of Half-and-Half in the recipe.
- Option 1: Mix 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk + 1 cup (240 ml) light cream (18-30% fat).
- Option 2: Mix 1 ½ cup (360 ml) whole milk + ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream (36-38% fat).
- Option 3: Mix 1 ⅓ cup (320 ml) low-fat milk + ⅔ cup (160 ml) heavy cream (36-38% fat).
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Chocolate Soufflé
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened; to coat the ramekins)
- 2 Tbsp sugar (to coat the ramekins)
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (use good-quality chocolate)
- ⅓ cup half-and-half (an American dairy product of equal parts whole milk and heavy cream; contains 10.5–18% milkfat; you can substitute any of the following: 1) ⅙ cup/40 ml whole milk + ⅙ cup/40 ml light cream (18–30% fat); 2) ¼ cup/60 ml whole milk + 4 tsp/20 ml heavy cream (36–38% fat); or 3) 3½ Tbsp/53 ml lowfat milk + 5 tsp/26 ml heavy cream)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup water
- 8 large egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
For Serving
- confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC).
- You will need 6 ramekins that are 4 oz (½ cup, 120 ml) each. With a pastry brush, coat the inside of the soufflé ramekins with 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened).
- Put 2 Tbsp sugar inside one ramekin, cover the opening with your hand, and coat all sides. Once the sugar coats the inside of the ramekin, transfer the excess sugar to the next ramekin and repeat. Continue this process until all the ramekins are coated with sugar.
To Make the Soufflé Mixture
- Chop 3 oz bittersweet chocolate into small pieces.
- Pour ⅓ cup half-and-half into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.
- Remove from the heat. Make a ganache by adding the chopped chocolate. Stir well until combined and all of the chocolate has melted.
- Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. Place the ganache in the mixing bowl.
- Add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ⅓ cup water, and mix until very hot. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place 8 large egg whites in a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until foamy.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium high and make a meringue. Add ½ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time. Whip the whites until stiff but do not overwhip.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold about half the meringue into the warm chocolate mixture.
- Then fold (not mix) the chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue in a stand mixer bowl. Do not deflate the batter. It’s okay if you still see streaks of meringue in the batter.
To Bake and Serve
- Use a large spoon to gently place the soufflé mixture in the ramekins. Fill to about ¼ inch below the rim of the ramekin. Run your thumb around the rim to remove the excess butter and sugar. Place the ramekins in a baking pan (for easy transfer to and from the oven).
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) until the soufflé has risen to about 1½ inches above the level of the rim and starts to brown on top, about 11–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. To reheat, bake the room temperature soufflé in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 6 minutes, until it rises.
Notes
Nutrition
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