Molten Chocolate Soufflé With White Chocolate Ganache

Molten chocolate soufflé is one of my favorite desserts to make for company. For all chocolate lovers it is heaven. It tastes great, looks great, tastes great, is inexpensive, tastes great, is relatively easy to make, and did I mention it tastes great?

Anyways here is what you need. The full recipe calls for 8 servings but it is easy to make bigger or smaller. So for each serving you need an oven safe ramekin. As far as cooking tools you need a food processor, measuring cups, a spatula, a wood spoon, and a medium sized pot. If by chance you don’t have a food processor do not worry. Yes, you should buy one but in the meantime you can make do with a hand blender. You have to mix it very well to make it come out right but it is not hard.

For ingredients you need

Sugar-1 ½ cups
Flour- 1 ½ cups
Eggs-8 eggs
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips-16 oz, 1 lb., or typically one full bag.
Butter-12 tablespoons-1 ½ sticks of butter.

Heavy Cream-1 cup
White Chocolate Chips-8+ ounces (I use like 12)
Powdered Sugar/Confectioners Sugar

A few notes on the ingredients. Buy the best chocolate chips you can find. No offense but Nestle usually just doesn’t cut it. Better chips cost like a whopping .50 cents more per bag. Definitely worth the extra buck or so. As I have stated in an earlier post I like Guittard. When my grocery store is out of Guittard I buy Ghirardelli.

First turn on the oven and set it at 350. Take the butter and butter the %$&@ out of the ramekins. Why the explicative? Because if you don’t butter them enough the soufflé will stick and it will end up looking like crap. Tasting like heaven but still looking like crap. So butter them well and don’t miss a spot.

Once they are buttered take the pot and over medium-low heat dump in the semi sweet chocolate and stir pretty much constantly so that you don’t burn your chocolate. Once it starts melting put in the remaining butter and keep mixing.

Take the eggs, flour, and sugar and mix it in the food processor. Once it is mixed pour in the chocolate and then blend again until it is chocolate cream looking. It might look yummy right now but hold off because it really is better once it’s done.

Take the mixture and pour a bit into each ramekin. I usually make about 3 passes so that they all get an even amount in them. Once you have poured the entire mixture place the ramekins in the oven. It is usually easier if you place them all on a cookie sheet before sticking them in the oven.

Set your timer for 20 minutes. Sometimes it is done in 20 but usually it takes closer to 25 minutes. But make sure not to overcook it or it will come out more like a brownie then a soufflé.

While the soufflés are cooking take a pot and over medium heat pour in the cream and wait until it comes to a boil. You need to actually keep your eye on this because when it gets to boil it boils quick and WILL overflow if you don’t watch it. Anyways once it hits boiling point take it off the heat and pour in the white chocolate chips and mix off and on until it becomes a thick white sauce.

Once the soufflés are done pull them out (remember to turn off the oven). Using a rubber oven mitt or something else with grip take a ramekin and flip it onto a small plate. Usually holding the two together I tap it a couple times so that it comes out and then I slowly lift off the ramekin. You then take some of the cream and pour it around the soufflé and dust it with powdered sugar.

A few notes on this dish is that I usually cook one more soufflé than I will need. This way I can pull one out when it looks done and see if it is undercooked. If when you plop it out it breaks then put them back in for a couple of minutes. Once you have made this recipe a few times you will be able to do it great every time.

The last step is the easiest. Eat, eat, and eat some more. You might want to have a glass of milk handy to help wash it down.

Happy Cooking,
David

P.S.-If you like this recipe (and you will if you make it) buy this cookbook. Commanders Kitchen is easily one of the my top three cookbooks I have ever bought.