Andrea Gonzales
Staff Writer
Baking has kept me sane during this quarantine. Finding comfort in the kitchen is a great way to stay busy, and being stuck in the house is the perfect opportunity to learn how to make those delicious recipes you’ve always envied on Pinterest or in recipe books for a low price. During the past few weeks, I’ve baked cookies, focaccia bread, scones, and most importantly, Bon Appétit magazine’s bittersweet chocolate soufflés. As a chocolate lover and avid reader of Bon Appétit, I knew that I had to try out Claire Saffitz’s decadent yet simple soufflé recipe.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉS
Start to finish:
Servings: 4 soufflés
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
4/9 cup sugar (about 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons)sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons coffee, brewed
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ice cream, melted
Heat the oven to 425 F. Brush insides and rims of ramekins (small, ridged ceramic bowls) with butter. Coat the buttered ramekins with sugar and tap out excess, set aside.
Place about 1/2 inch of water in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Heat chocolate, coffee, and 1 tablespoon butter in a large bowl over the pan, but don’t let the bowl touch the water. Stir until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool for around 10 minutes, or whenever the mixture is cool to touch.
Whisk 3 egg yolks and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into chocolate mixture. Whisk in 2 teaspoons water.
Beat the separated egg whites in a bowl until they are frothy, about 30 seconds. Add salt and continue beating to create soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons sugar while beating the mixture until you create firm, shiny peaks.
Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites without deflating the mixture by making a large “C” shape with your spatula, from the top of your bowl to the bottom — be careful not to overmix.
Fill each ramekin to the top with the soufflé mixture. Using the back of a knife, scrape across the tops of the ramekins to remove the excess batter.
Lightly tap ramekins on the counter. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar onto the surface of the batter.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake the soufflés in the oven at 400 F for around 12 to 15 minutes. Let them cool and then make an indent in the middle of each soufflé with a spoon. Pour some melted ice cream into each indent.
(Recipe [adapted]/[from] (or adapted from) Bon Appetit magazine, created by Claire Saffitz.)
