Into every healthy diet a little chocolate must fall.  Chocolate soufflé is the perfect homemade Valentine’s gift that screams I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I MADE YOU A CHOCOLATE CLOUD!  Trust me, this is one gift that will be appreciated.  Making a soufflé is not difficult (I swear), it’s just a little time-consuming and fast-moving.   I first made this recipe last year when working through The Kitchn’s baking school with my niece, N.  Baking through these recipes with her bridged the 550 mile gap between us and made me feel like she was right there alongside me.  This particular recipe was by far the Professor’s favorite.  👨🏻‍🎓The nicest thing about this recipe is you probably have all the ingredients already in your house.  So even before you start thinking about anything, please oh please take 6 eggs out of the fridge RIGHT NOW.  You want your eggs at room temperature.  Let them sit out for an hour or so.  Also, preheat your oven to 375°F.  The next step is ramekin prep; rub the insides of the ramekins with butter, then add a teaspoon of sugar in the bottom.  Tip the ramekin this way and that way until the sugar is stuck to all the buttered insides of the ramekin.  Tap your ramekin gently on the side of your sink to remove excess sugar.

Once the ramekins are buttered and sugared, it’s time to start melting the chocolate with the butter.  You can do this in a bowl over a gently simmering water OR you can zap it in a bowl in the microwave for 30 second increments.  Your choice.  If you chose the stove method, make sure the bottom of your bowl isn’t touching the water.  Stir your choco-butter a few times until it’s all melty and smooth.

Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and add the vanilla extract and salt.   Set the melted chocolate aside to cool while you work on the egg situation.  You don’t want cold chocolate, just cooled enough so it’s still warm to the touch.  You are eventually going to add beaten egg yolks to this chocolate and if the chocolate isn’t slightly cooled it will cook the yolks and ruin your soufflé.

Separate all the egg yolks from their whites.  Place the 6 egg whites into your stand mixer’s bowl and set aside for later.  Take 3 of the yolks into a small mixing bowl, sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar over top of the yolks and whisk by hand until they are a pale yellow.  (You’ll have 3 yolks extra left over, freeze them and use them at a later date or use them in omelettes.)

Pour your beautiful, pale yellow beaten yolks overtop of your warm chocolate.

Gently stir in the yolks with a spatula until combined and yellow is no longer visible.

Time to beat the 6 egg whites you previously set aside.  Start mixing on low and work your way up to medium-high until the whites are frothy and opaque.  Turn the mixer down to medium speed, and slowly pour in the final 1/4 cup of sugar.  You’ll know it’s done when stiff peaks have formed.  Don’t overmix it though, so give it a stiff peak check every minute or so.  Once your whites are sufficiently beaten, it’s time to add them to the chocolate.  Do this in increments of 4.

When you stir the whites into the chocolate base, make sure you use a “folding” method.  Cut the spatula through the center of the bowl, then scoop from underneath, repeating this action while turning the bowl in quarter increments in-between each fold.  Don’t add more whites until the previously added whites are well combined (no white visible).  You are looking to add air to your soufflés which will make them puff.  Don’t overmix, but also don’t overthink it or freak out.

Here’s what mine looked like when I finished mixing all my whites into the chocolate base:

It’ll look a little bit grainy with some lumps and that’s totally ok!  Scoop the mixture into your pre-buttered, sugared ramekins and bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

You’ll know the soufflés are done when the tops are dry and they’ve puffed a good half inch or more.

I’m making these for the professor tomorrow along with a recipe I saw by Chef Ludo for French onion soup.  FOS is another one of the professor’s favorites.  Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️❤️❤️

Chocolate Soufflé
*recipe from The Kitchn
Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Bake time: 18-20 minutes
Serves: 6

Print This Recipe!

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the soufflé dishes
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, rough chopped
• 3 large eggs yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided, plus extra to coat the soufflé dishes
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Remove 6 eggs from refrigerator and set aside on countertop for 1 hour before use.
3. Rub the insides of the ramekins with butter, then add a teaspoon of sugar in the bottom.  Tip the ramekin this way and that way until the sugar is stuck to all the buttered insides of the ramekin.
4. Combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water.  The bottom of the bowl must not touch the simmering water.  Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
5. Remove chocolate from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.  Set chocolate aside to cool slightly.  Chocolate should cool enough to just be warm to the touch but still able to be stirred.
6. Place the 3 egg yolks into a small bowl and sprinkle 1/4 of a cup of sugar over top.  Beat the eggs with the sugar until they are a pale yellow.  Yolks will start out orangey-yellow and lighten to a light yellow after being beaten.  The yolks are ready when they hold ribbons over the surface for a second or so.
7. Pour the yolk into the chocolate mixture and gently stir with a spatula until yellow is no longer visible.  Set mixture aside.
8. Beat 6 egg whites over medium high speed in a stand mixer until opaque and frothy.  Reduce speed to medium and while the mixer is running, slowly add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  Turn speed up to medium high and mix until stiff peaks form.
9. Add egg whites to chocolate base in increments of 4.  Using a “folding” method, cut the spatula through the center of the bowl, then scoop from underneath, repeating this action while turning the bowl in quarter increments.  Don’t add more whites until the previously added whites are well combined (no white visible).
10. Pour the soufflé batter into the prepared ramekins.
11. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes until the soufflés are puffed and the tops look dry.
12. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.  The soufflé will fall 5-10 minutes after being removed from the oven.  (Note: A fallen soufflé is still a delicious soufflé!)
13. You can refrigerate baked (fallen) soufflés to be eaten the following day.  Reheat for 15 minutes in a 325 oven (or toaster oven) until warmed through.