Chocolate "Caliente" Soufflés

I've always been a little leery of making a souffle. "Will it rise? Will it fall?" But I still wanted to try. I found several recipes that sparked my curiousity. The one that inspired this delightful dessert comes from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Desserts 2. With a few changes here and there in the ingredients, I devised the perfect after-dinner treat for any week night meal. I hope you try making this, it's really tasty. Enjoy.

Chocolate Soufflés
(by Sandra Lee)

Chocolate "Caliente" Soufflés
(by Teresa, the changes I made are in red)

4 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons sugar
5 ounces semisweet chocolate baking bar, cut up, Baker’s
I used Abuelitas Mexican chocolate, 1 ½ disks and only 1 tablespoon of sugar in the chocolate mixture. I also used 1-teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract and a pinch of cayenne powder.
2 tablespoons whipping cream
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional I used the cocoa powder but I also incorporated ¼ teaspoon cinnamon into the powder before dusting.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease six 4-ounce ramekins and use 2 tablespoons of sugar to coat the inside of ramekins. I used four 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

On top of a double boiler, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the chocolate and whipping cream. Place over boiling water in bottom of double boiler making sure bottom of top pan does not touch the water. Cook and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat allow to cool for a minute or two and stir in egg yolks; set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Spoon into ramekins, filling each three-fourths full. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or just until set. Serve immediately. If desired, dust with cocoa powder.


You can see the airiness and lightness of the soufflé in every spoonfull. My only concern with this dish is that it really must be prepared right before serving, otherwise it deflates quickly. If anyone can tell me how to keep a soufflé from falling after taking it out of the oven, I sure would appreciate the tip.
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Smile!
Among life's mysteries is how a two-pound box of chocolate can make a person gain five pounds!? :)
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Go to the Mexican American Border Cooking blog for a delicious recipe on Piri Piri BBQ Chicken.