Chocolate Souffle is Easier Than You Think
Don't be scared by the word "Soufflé". I remember when I first started cooking, and someone suggested making a soufflé, I thought, "No way. Sounds too fancy and difficult to make." Loosely translated, soufflé means “full of air.” That doesn’t sound so difficult.
What Is a Souffle?
A soufflé is a light, fluffy dish made primarily with beaten egg whites and various flavorings, often savory or sweet. The base can include ingredients like cheese, chocolate, fruit, vegetables, or other flavorings.
The dish is characterized by its airy texture, which is achieved by incorporating beaten egg whites into a flavored base mixture and then baking it in a high-temperature oven. Soufflés are known for their delicate nature and tendency to rise dramatically in the oven before deflating shortly after removal. They are often served as a savory main course, side dish, or sweet dessert.
How Do You Get a Souffle Full of Air?
Properly Beating Egg Whites: Start by separating the egg whites from the yolks and beating them until they form stiff peaks. This incorporates air into the mixture, creating the light and fluffy texture characteristic of soufflés. Be sure not to overbeat the egg whites, as this can cause them to become grainy and lose their ability to hold air.
Gentle Folding Technique: Once the egg whites are beaten, gently fold them into the base mixture (which may include ingredients like cheese, chocolate, or other flavorings) using a spatula. It's essential to fold carefully to maintain as much of the incorporated air as possible. Overmixing or stirring too vigorously can deflate the egg whites and result in a denser soufflé.
Preheated Oven: Ensure that your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before placing the soufflé inside. The sudden burst of heat helps the soufflé rise quickly and develop its airy structure.
Avoid Opening the Oven: Once the soufflé is in the oven, avoid opening the oven door until it's close to being done. Sudden temperature drops can cause the soufflé to collapse.
Proper Baking Time: Bake the soufflé until it's fully risen and has a golden-brown crust on top. The exact baking time will vary depending on the recipe and the size of the soufflé dish, but typically, it ranges from 15 to 25 minutes.
By following these steps carefully and handling the mixture gently, you can achieve a soufflé that's full of air and has a light, fluffy texture.
Chocolate
In the case of this chocolate soufflé, the base is flavored with bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. Without the addition of the whipped egg whites, you’d have a rich chocolate pudding. But fold in the whipped egg whites, and something amazing happens.
All those small little bubbles you beat into the whites expand in the oven's heat, et voila: what would have been a thick, rich, dense pudding turns into a light, ethereal, melt-in-your-mouth soufflé.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Souffle
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¾ teaspoon salt to taste
- 1½ cups milk
- 12 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate coarsely chopped
- ½ cup coffee brewed strong
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 5 egg yolks
- 7 egg whites
- confectioners sugar
Instructions
Make the base and chill up to a day before
- Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat, whisk in flour, salt and then milk and cook until it comes to a boil for a few seconds and thickens. What you have just made is a very basic béchamel sauce.
- Off the heat, stir in chocolate and stir constantly until it's melted.
- Add coffee, vanilla, and ¼ cup of sugar, whisking until smooth.
- One at a time, add the egg yolks while whisking constantly. With the addition of these ingredients, you have just made chocolate pastry cream, or chocolate pudding.
- Cool, cover and chill the base for at least four hours and up to a day ahead.
About an hour before you want to serve the soufflé
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Coat the inside of the baking dish with butter and sugar.
- Butter a 2-2½ quart soufflé dish or straight-sided baking dish. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and then tap and rotate the dish to cover the bottom and sides with sugar.
- In a perfectly clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, and gradually whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Continue to whisk until the peaks are stiff and glossy.
- Stir ¼ of the whites into the soufflé base to lighten it. Then, thoroughly but gently fold in the rest of the whites.
- Fill the soufflé dish all the way to the top. If you’d like, run your thumb around the top inside of the soufflé dish to clean off the rim. Some chefs say this helps the soufflé to rise more evenly.
- Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until the soufflé rises 2 inches above soufflé dish and/or the top of the soufflé is golden brown.
- Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately because the soufflé will deflate in less than two minutes.
martina
is it hard
G. Stephen Jones
Not at all.