Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles with Vanilla Creme Anglaise

Serves 4

Chocolate Souffles

• Unsalted butter, softened and sugar- to prepare souffle dishes
• 225g bittersweet chocolate (up to 70% cacao), finely chopped
• 15g unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup full fat milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon water (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Vanilla Creme Anglaise (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and place rack in the bottom third. Generously butter 8 (140-170g) souffle dishes, including the rims, dust them with sugar and tap out the excess. Set aside.
2. To melt chocolate, pour a little water in the bottom of a double broiler and bring to a rolling boil. Off the heat, place the chocolate in the top of the double broiler. turn the heat off and set the chocolate over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth. Leave over warm water until needed.
3. To prepare bechamel, melt butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Remove for heat, add the flour, and whisk well to remove any lumps. return to the heat and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened to a consistency of thin pudding. Remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla. Whisk in espresso powder mixture and salt. With a clean spatula, scrape the melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Add the bechamel sauce and whisk to blend. whisk in the egg yolks. cover and keep warm while you whip the egg whites.
4. In the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, whip the 4 egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. With the mixer running, rain in sugar and beat until firm peaks form. With a spatula, gently stir 1/4 of the egg into the chocolate bechamel sauce to lighten the mixture. Fold in the remaining whites just until there are no more white streaks.
5. Transfer the souffle batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch round tip. Pipe the batter into each souffle dish, filling it to 1cm below the rim. Transfer the dishes into a rimmed baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for 14- 18 minutes, until the souffles are set and firm to the touch in the centre. Serve immediately, dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by individual pitchers of Vanilla Creme Anglaise. Enjoy!

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Makes 2-3 cups

Vanilla Creme Anglaise

• 1 cup full fat milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Fill a large mixing bowl halfway with ice and water and set aside. Combine the milk, cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the milk mixture to just below the boiling point. Remove pan from the heat.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly with the spatula, until the custard thickens and registers 178-180 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
3. Immediately strain the custard sauce through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium heatproof mixing bowl to remove any tiny bits of scrambled egg. Once the sauce has cooled completely, stir in vanilla. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce then set the bowl into the bowl of ice water. once the custard has completely cooled, use or store in the refrigerator until needed.

Recipe Source