The Soufflé: Conquered

Have I mentioned how much I love my Kate Spade calendar/planner?  When I first saw it last fall, I immediately knew I needed to have it.  First of all, everything Kate Spade is brilliant - I love it all.  But second, this calendar is what got me started on fun, cute illustrations.  Every month has a different one (see all of them here) and then a little phrase telling you to do something to help you live colorfully.  Anyway, I needed this planner.  But it was already sold out online!  Thankfully the weekend coming up we had decided to go to DC for a fun getaway, so I decided I would just get the planner at the Kate Spade store in Georgetown.  

So at the end of our day walking around DC, we drove to Georgetown.  Silly us, we get there about 5 PM on a Saturday.  We literally sat in traffic/looked for a parking spot for over an hour.  It was just getting ridiculous so we decided to can Georgetown and just drive home.  I was so disappointed.  I had seen the Kate Spade store, was so close to having my hands on the most perfect planner ever, and then we were gone.  (I was also bummed I didn't get to go into the Godiva store, because I get a free piece of chocolate every month for being a member.)  The next morning I checked the Kate Spade online store to see what the status of the planner was - thankfully they were in stock again!  I quickly ordered it and received it the first week of October.  I told my mom she could give it to me for Christmas, and it was definitely worth the wait and is one of my favorite things.  ok super long story to get to my point:

march
conquer the soufflé

This is the picture and suggestion for March.  This is my absolute favorite illustration of the year.  I am going to frame it and hang it above my stove in the kitchen because it is just too cute to not.  Because I love it so much, I decided that I really would try to make a soufflé.  I always thought soufflé was this impossibly difficult thing to make with a nasty smooshy texture.  I am a big textures girl, so that totally grossed me out.  But I decided to suck it up and try it anyway.  Even if it was gross at least I could say I tried it.  

I will say this is one of the most interesting/science experiment-like things I have ever made.  So many different things going on at once and then you combine them all and voilà!  It poofs and it's soufflé!  But, it was so worth it!  The texture was not weird at all, it's actually liquid on the inside but not in a gross way.  It was so chocolately and rich and was one of the most intensely delicious things I have ever eaten.  So if you're feeling adventurous and craving chocolate, whip up this soufflé!  

Individual Chocolate Soufflés

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins 

3 large egg whites, room temperature, plus 3 large egg yolks

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

5 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao)*

2/3 cup milk (not skim)

1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

3 Tbsp sour cream

Whisk egg whites with a mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes.  Add cream of tartar; whisk until soft peaks form.  Add 1/3 cup sugar; whisk until medium peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Melt the chocolate.  I used the double boiler method; I will never try to melt chocolate in the microwave again!  The double boiler method is flawless.  After melting the chocolate, pour into a large bowl.

Whisk milk into cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring, until thick, 1-2 minutes.  Whisk this mixture into the chocolate.  Whisk in egg yolks and sour cream.  Gently fold in the egg white mixture.

the batter, before baking

Spray four 7-ounce ramekins (I love my Corningware ones) with cooking spray, then coat with granulated sugar.  Fill ramekins evenly with batter.  Bake on a baking sheet at 400 degrees, rotating halfway through, until soufflés rise but centers are still liquid, about 14 minutes.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.  Let sit for 2 minutes.  Serve.

*Use whatever chocolate is your favorite, the better quality the better. 

(The batter can be made up to three hours ahead.  After pouring the batter into the ramekins, stick the ramekins in the fridge until ready to bake.)

my first soufflé!

Source:  recipe altered from Martha Stewart Living, January 2011