This recipe was provided by master patissier, Eric Lanlard, who will be at the 2018 Cake Bake & Sweets Show.
I love soufflé. It is such a simple recipe with few ingredients, but it still has the wow factor every time you make one. This chocolate version, especially when served with a vanilla ice-cream drop, is superb.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter, for greasing
- 125g (4oz) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp dark rum (optional)
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- 4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C)/400°F/gas mark 6. Grease 6 ramekin dishes.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl.
- Stir in the rum, if using.
- Remove from the heat and add the crème fraîche, then the egg yolks.
- In a large, clean, dry bowl, whisk all the egg whites and the salt to soft peaks.
- Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.
- Fill the prepared ramekins to the top with the mixture, then clean the rims using your finger and thumb.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until nicely risen.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Tip: For a delicious party trick, serve your soufflés with an ice-cream drop. Before you make the soufflés, scoop out 6 balls of good-quality vanilla ice cream and place on a freezer-proof plate. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve. When serving the soufflés at the table, drop an ice-cream ball into each soufflé.
Recipe taken from Chocolat by Eric Lanlard, published by Octopus Books (c) photography, Kate Whitaker