Soufflé au Chocolat

It’s quite funny how there is this instinctual belief that making something like a soufflé would be too hard to even bother trying, but please, please, I beg you don’t even spend a second thinking this, because in that time you could have already made it. As Australia has just moved into winter, it is no wonder I opened up my cookbook and dug out this recipe for a cold, rainy, movie fest Saturday night. It seriously takes 10 minutes to prepare and hardly no time to cook and the end result is this fluffy, decadent chocolate sensation, that you wish never ended.

French food has this unbelievable affect on me, something I can’t quite lay my hands on, but if I am to describe it in words and simply, I would say it makes me feel content. It has this outstanding ability to make me realise that I don’t need anything else in the world and should rid myself of my insatiable attitude because no matter how hard I try in all other aspects of life, nothing really conjures or equates to the happiness arising from this gorgeous cuisine.  

So if you’re ever down, or have had a stressful week, I say try some French food, especially this soufflé that’s pumped with the natural endorphins provided by the divine dark chocolate. And please, please use good chocolate, it is the key ingredient and makes all the difference.

125 grams dark cooking chocolate 70% cocoa solids (I use Nestle Plaistowe or Lindt, they provide the best end result).

5 egg whites at room temperature

3 egg yolks at room temperature

65 grams caster sugar

Melted Butter for greasing moulds

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease four 200ml oven-safe cooking moulds with the melted butter. Melt chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water. Keep warm.

In a bowl of an electric mixer beat egg whites until soft peaks form add a third of the sugar and beat until glossy and remaining sugar and beat until sift peaks form.

Mix the egg yolks into the melted chocolate. Add a third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture and gently fold. Add the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg white mixture and fold gently. Divide the mixture evenly amongst the moulds. Place the moulds in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until puffed but the center is not cooked.

Serve with whipped cream and dusted with cocoa powder, or just have it how it is and you will still be epicly seduced by it’s taste.