Chocolate Soufflé

For greasing:
Soft butter
Sugar

For chocolate crème pâtissière:
250 ml. milk
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
30 grams sugar
25 grams corn starch
150 grams dark chocolate
50 ml. heavy cream
3 egg whites, at room temperature
20 grams sugar

Icing sugar for serving

Preparation:

1. Butter your individual ramekins and coat with some sugar. Put in the freezer until your soufflé mixture is prepared.
2. Crème pâtissière: in a medium pot bring milk and salt to a simmer.
3. In the meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar and corn starch together, until smooth.
4. Pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into egg yolks mixture, while whisking. Gradually add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth mixture is formed.
5. Move the mixture back to the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking all the time, for about 3-4 minutes, or until smooth crème pâtissière is formed.
6. Add chocolate to the pâtissière and whisk until it dissolves.
7. Cool crème pâtissière
8. Preheat oven to 190°C.
9. Add the heavy cream to the pâtissière and whisk together.
10. Whip the egg whites until it gets white, then add sugar and continue whipping until soft peaks form.
11. Fold in the egg whites into the crème pâtissière mixture until smooth.
12. Gently spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, and place on a baking pan.
13. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until souffle rises from the ramekins, and wobbles a bit in the center.
14. Remove from oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Notes:

• It’s important to use eggs at room temperature.
• Beware of over-baking.

Photo: Shachar Fleischman