Kohlman: Chocolate Souffle

With the bulk of winter behind us, there is still the slog of March to get through and, in my books, it is the toughest month of the year.

To cheer myself up, I tend to hit the kitchen for inspiration, tackling recipes that have reputations for being fussy, but are actually pretty simple. Take the chocolate soufflé. It’s just eggs, chocolate and sugar, but, with a little effort, these everyday ingredients are transformed into something so delicious you’ll want to pat yourself on the back afterwards.

There are a couple of rules to follow for soufflé success.

1) Be sure the eggs are at room temperature.

2) Preheat the oven as soon as you start the recipe. The oven needs to be nice and hot. A super hot baking sheet is an important factor when baking soufflés. Once the ramekins hit the surface of the baking sheet, the soufflé starts to rise immediately.

3) Have all your ingredients measured and at the ready before you start. The process moves quickly, so having everything ready ahead prevents issues. You don’t want any issues when it comes to baking a soufflé.

4) Be sure to have your ramekins greased, sugared and ready to go.

5) Make sure your chocolate base is fairly cool before adding the whipped egg whites. While my egg whites were whipping, I stirred the base a few times to help it cool more quickly.

6) Don’t over-whip your egg whites. Check often by stopping the mixer and dipping the whisk into the whites to check the consistency. Whites should be glossy and stand straight up, with only the tip falling over.

7) Fold the egg whites gently into your chocolate just until mixed. Try not to overmix.

8) Whatever you do, don’t open the oven door when baking the soufflé or there’s a good chance it could collapse. If you need to check the doneness, do so at the end of the cooking time and you should be fine.

Watching a soufflé rise is one of the best reasons to have an oven light. I like to sit in front of the oven and watch the slow climb of the chocolate out of the ramekin. Maybe I need to get out of the house more, but I think it’s a fun thing to do. Those 10 minutes go by quickly. Be sure your favourite people are close by, as you’ll want witnesses when you pull the soufflés out of the oven. Light and airy, the chocolate concoction will begin to slowly collapse as soon as it hits room temperature. That’s okay though. Everyone will have time to grab a quick photo before they tuck into the molten middle.

Chocolate Soufflé Ingredients

2 Tbsp softened butter

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

125 g chopped dark chocolate

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven.

2. Generously butter four 8-oz (250 mL) ramekins. Coat the insides with 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Place in the refrigerator while you work on the batter.

3. Melt chocolate and cocoa together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, remove from the heat to cool, stirring occasionally.

4. Separate the eggs, being very careful not to get any yolk in the whites. Place the yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat with 1/4 cup sugar, until the mixture is thick and pale. A whisk works best for this.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites and salt until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Turn the speed down to low and gradually add 1 Tbsp of sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beet until the whites are stiff and glossy. Be careful to not overbeat the whites or the soufflé will be grainy.

6. Stir the chocolate into the yolk mixture until it is smooth. Add a little egg white fluff, just to loosen the chocolate, then gradually fold in the rest of the whites. Be sure to try to keep as much air as possible in the batter.

7. Spoon the batter into the ramekins, leaving a one centimetre gap from the top. Place on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 to 11 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

9. To prepare ahead, once the soufflé batter has been spooned into ramekins, they can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.