Many have tried their hands on them, few have mastered them. The Soufflé continues to be one of the desserts world’s biggest unsolved mysteries, until now! Follow this step by step guide to achieve perfection every time and wow your dinner guest.
Chocolate Soufflé Mix
Ingredients
50 g butter
55 g plain flour
20 g Cuvée 72% Classic Dark Hot Chocolate Mix
250 ml milk
90 g Cuvée Grand Cru 75% Extra Dark Chocolate
120 g egg yolk
180 g egg white
85 g caster sugar
salt
butter & caster sugar for your soufflé dishes
Method
- prepare your soufflé dishes by brushing them with a generous amount of soft butter and coating them with caster sugar
- set the dishes aside until required
- cream the softened butter using the paddle attachment in a kitchen mixer
- add the sifted flour and hot chocolate mix and mix until just combined. Do not overmix at this stage as you do NOT want to activate the gluten in the flour. (That can give the soufflés a “bready” texture)
- in a sauce pan or small pot, bring the milk to a boil and add the butter/flour & cocoa powder mixture bit by bit whilst constantly stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula
- keep the pot on the heat and stir and “roast” the mixture until it forms a thick film on the bottom of the pot or for approx. 1-2 minutes. (like a choux paste for profiteroles or eclairs)
- (if the pot isn’t hard to clean after, it hasn’t been cooked long enough)
- transfer the hot mix into a mixing bowl for the kitchen mixer and add the chocolate to it
- using the paddle attachment, mix until well combined (the mixture may split a little at this stage which is perfectly normal)
- keep mixing until it has cooled down to approx. 50°C and add the egg yolks bit by bit
- whip the egg white, sugar and salt to a soft peak merengue, make sure not to over whip it though
- fold the merengue into your chocolate mixture.
- using a bag or spoon, fill he mix right to the top into your buttered and sugared soufflé dishes or ramekins.
- you can now either bake the soufflés straight away or set them aside in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking
- bake at 200°C for about 10-15 Minutes or until the soufflés have stopped rising
Chef's Tip
If you’re expecting guest or cooking for someone you want to impress, its always a good idea to test bake one or two soufflés to make sure they rise.
Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
160ml cream
105ml water
70g caster sugar
15g glucose syrup
25g Cuvée 75% Dark Chilli Hot Chocolate Mix
140g Cuvée Amphora 65% Dark Chocolate
Method
- in a sauce pan or small pot, bring the cream, water, sugar and glucose to a boil
- sift the cocoa powder and mix it with a whisk into the boiling mixture
- chop your Amphora chocolate bar into smaller bits, no larger than five cent pieces and place it into a bowl
- pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate thoroughly before combining it with a whisk
- serve whilst still warm
Chef's Tip
You can personalise your chocolate sauce by infusing it with some spices or even “spiking” it with your favourite adult beverage