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chocolate souffle
Apr. 7th, 2007 09:35 pmI tried this yesterday, and it worked pretty well. Not perfectly, but pretty well, especially considering my lack of experience with souffles. I think it could be perfect with a little practice.
I started with 3 medium eggs. That would make 2 desserts, or even 3 after a big meal, but I called it a main course for 1. I separated the eggs, of course. This was supposed to be a souffle. Everything clean and dry. I know that much.
Added to the yolks: 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder, 3 teaspoons sugar. That made it smell right, but it was much too stiff. I added half a cup of raspberry tea (the raspberry-rosehip tisane, which is hardly acid at all, but smells wonderfully fruity.) I had brewed it very strong and let it cool so it wouldn't cook the yolk...I just wanted some liquid that would carry flavor and not dilute it. Half a cup turned out to be too much liquid. I added some almond butter to stiffen the custard, and also to support the souffle when it rose. I know some people use ground nuts, but it was easier to use nut butter from a jar. I added about 2 tablespoons.
I whipped the eggwhites to stiff peaks with another teaspoon sugar and folded it into the custard. I baked it at 425 F, in a buttered 7" pan. I think that was another mistake--it would probably have cooked faster and risen better in smaller containers. My kitchen has a shortage of ovenproof containers bigger than cupcakes yet smaller than skillets. If I were to divide the batter into small ovenproof cups, how deep should I fill them?
It wasn't puffed up the way I expected of a souffle, but it didn't have a flat omelet texture, either. It was like a light, very rich, cake, tasting of chocolate and almonds, with a subtle hint of raspberry. I'm definately going to try this one again, maybe with a mint tea instead of the raspberry, and a bit less liquid. Or with raspberry tea as the liquid, it would be good to serve actual raspberries with it.
I started with 3 medium eggs. That would make 2 desserts, or even 3 after a big meal, but I called it a main course for 1. I separated the eggs, of course. This was supposed to be a souffle. Everything clean and dry. I know that much.
Added to the yolks: 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder, 3 teaspoons sugar. That made it smell right, but it was much too stiff. I added half a cup of raspberry tea (the raspberry-rosehip tisane, which is hardly acid at all, but smells wonderfully fruity.) I had brewed it very strong and let it cool so it wouldn't cook the yolk...I just wanted some liquid that would carry flavor and not dilute it. Half a cup turned out to be too much liquid. I added some almond butter to stiffen the custard, and also to support the souffle when it rose. I know some people use ground nuts, but it was easier to use nut butter from a jar. I added about 2 tablespoons.
I whipped the eggwhites to stiff peaks with another teaspoon sugar and folded it into the custard. I baked it at 425 F, in a buttered 7" pan. I think that was another mistake--it would probably have cooked faster and risen better in smaller containers. My kitchen has a shortage of ovenproof containers bigger than cupcakes yet smaller than skillets. If I were to divide the batter into small ovenproof cups, how deep should I fill them?
It wasn't puffed up the way I expected of a souffle, but it didn't have a flat omelet texture, either. It was like a light, very rich, cake, tasting of chocolate and almonds, with a subtle hint of raspberry. I'm definately going to try this one again, maybe with a mint tea instead of the raspberry, and a bit less liquid. Or with raspberry tea as the liquid, it would be good to serve actual raspberries with it.
