Chocolate soufflé
NOTE: If you
prefer, make one large soufflé in a buttered and sugared 2-quart
soufflé dish and bake for about 25 minutes. If you like, melt the
chocolate in a microwave set at 50 percent power for three minutes,
stirring in the butter after two minutes. This recipe serves
eight.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon softened, remaining 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup sugar
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped coarse
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter insides of eight 8-ounce ramekins with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Coat insides of dishes evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar; refrigerate ramekins until ready to use.
2. Melt chocolate and remaining 4 tablespoons butter in medium bowl set over pan of simmering water. Turn off heat, stir in salt, vanilla, and liqueur; set aside.
3. Beat yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Clean beaters.
4. Beat whites in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat at high speed to stiff, moist peaks.
5. Vigorously stir one-quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites (see figures 22 through 25). Spoon mixture into prepared dishes and clean each rim with wet paper towel; bake until exterior is set and interior is still a bit loose and creamy, 16 to 18 minutes. (soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen; use two large spoons to pull open top of soufflé and peek inside if you have doubts; place back in oven if center is still soupy.) Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS:
Mocha soufflé
Add 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water to chocolate mixture, along with vanilla and liqueur.
Make-Ahead soufflé (either Chocolate or Mocha)
Make the following changes to recipe. Rather than beating sugar and yolks, bring 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water to boil in small saucepan and simmer until sugar dissolves. With mixer running, slowly add this sugar syrup to egg yolks; beat until mixture triples in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks; add 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and continue to beat to stiff peaks. Cover filled ramekins and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees; bake until exterior is set and interior is still a bit loose and creamy, 16 to 18 minutes. Do not overbake.