With
soufflé's fussy reputation, I was astonished
at how easy and quick this was. It's actually faster
than making a from-the-box cake or brownies. I named
this one for the way the it quickly caves in once you
dress it with chocolate sauce. Have the sauce ready
and dress it at the table for best presentation.
You'll need 4 individual soufflé ramekins.
Makes 4 soufflés
3 ounces good-quality chocolate,
chopped
1/3 cup unsalted butter,
plus extra for ramekins
2 large eggs,
separated
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tbsp. superfine
sugar, plus extra for ramekins
sauce:
3 ounces good-quality semisweet, dark, or white chocolate,
chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Generously
butter ramekins, then sprinkle with superfine sugar.
Tap out excess sugar. Place ramekins on baking sheet.
Melt
together 3 ounces of chocolate and 1/3 cup butter in
the top of a double boiler, stirring frequently. Remove
from heat and cool slightly.
In a
large, CLEAN bowl with CLEAN beaters (any grease will
prevent eggs from whipping), beat egg whites on low
until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar, increase
speed, and beat until whites form soft peaks. Add sugar
one third at a time, beating all the while, until stiff
peaks form.
Beat
egg yolks into melted chocolate mixture. Stir in one
third of the egg whites to lighten mixture. Then pour
chocolate mixture over bowl of beaten egg whites and
fold together until just incorporated. A few streaks
are fine; don't overmix.
Spoon
mixture into prepared ramekins. At this point, you can
hold the batter for up to an hour and a half before
baking. Don't bake until you're ready to serve, as you
must serve this immediately. Bake 8 - 10 minutes, or
until high and set, but still a bit wobbly.
While
soufflés bake, melt chocolate with cream in the
top of a double boiler, stirring constantly, to form
a thick sauce. Pour into gravy boat and keep warm until
soufflés are finished. To serve, bring soufflés
immediately to the table. Then dress by making a dent
in the top with a spoon and pouring in the sauce. Soufflés
will quickly cave in, leaving a chocolate crater. Enjoy!
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