Perfect for a cozy Valentine’s Day celebration, this rich, airy chocolate soufflé from Jeffrey’s Prime Rib & Lobster combines timeless elegance with irresistible flavor. It’s an impressive yet approachable dessert meant to be shared with someone special.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chocolate chips – (12 ounces Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate or the chocolate chips of your choice)
- 4 ounces butter (1/2 stick)
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup of water
- Powdered Sugar
- Strawberries or raspberries for garnish, if desired.
- 4 – 8 ounce ramekins
Instructions:
Once you have everything in place or “mise en place” (pronounced meez-ahn-plahs), a French culinary term that literally means “everything in its place.”
Coat the inside of the ramekins with a little bit of butter or a cooking spray, place a little sugar inside of a ramekin and turn to lightly coat the inside and bottom of the ramekin. Pour excess into the next ramekin and do the same until all four are coated. Set aside.
Next put the chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler and slowly incorporate the butter into the chocolate.
In a sauce pan heat the water and sugar slowly until sugar dissolves and put on a low simmer.
Using an electric mixer whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. As the mixer is whipping the egg whites, turn your sugar mixture to a higher temperature and bring to a rolling boil to make a simple syrup.
When your egg whites have soft peaks, slowly add the simple syrup into the egg whites. Be careful not to burn yourself as your simple syrup should be boiling when you pull it off the stove.
Remove chocolate butter mixture from the stove, but still while in the double boiler GENTLY fold egg white/simple syrup mixture into the melted chocolate mixture.
When well incorporated, fill each ramekin just below the top.
Place in your preheated oven at 350° for a convection oven or 400° for a traditional oven.
Your soufflé should rise well above the top of the ramekins, look through the window in your oven. If possible, DO NOT open and close the door, your soufflé could fall as they are very delicate.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, slowly open the door and peek inside the oven but do not let out much hot air. (Chef Jeff Supper sets the timer for 12 minutes and then takes a sneak peek to determine how much longer he would like to cook them.)
Have powdered sugar ready in a sifter and as soon as they are finished cooking pull out of the oven quickly dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with strawberries or raspberries if desired, and use tongs to place on a serving plate and serve IMMEDIATELY.