Chocolate Orange Soufflé

Every time I make a soufflé it is like the scariest thing I can imagine. It's nerve wracking and makes me all kinds of anxious. And it's just a freaking dessert. The first time I ever made a soufflé I was pregnant with my second child, I think maybe around 8 weeks or so and I was watching Master Chef and I knew right then I needed to have one. I think it was 10 at night, and I asked Shane to PLEASE go buy me some ramekins so I could make this like, at that exact minute. When he got home I got to work and by the end I was exhausted and kind of sweaty from working around the heat and my arms hurt because I didn't have a kitchen aid mixer. It was madness. MADNESS!

Souffle comes from the french word "souffler", or to "blow up". You know, since it rises. Ive read somewhere that the first soufflés were started with rouxs ( mixture of flour and butter). 

The first soufflé I made was a chocolate orange espresso soufflé, and I figured tonight I'd make another one, minus the espresso. Ready to learn! Sweet!

Recipe:

• 7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus for preparing the molds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 8 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar for garnishing

Right off the bat, I want to say, when you are baking you MUST always follow exact measurements and everything. Do not make any adjustments, get it?!

Begin by taking your ramekin and using soft butter, butter all of the inside. Even the top edges.

Next, take granulated sugar and add sugar to the inside, coating it.  Now, put your ramekins in the freezer for later.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and set a rack on the lower half of your oven.

Measure out your chocolate and your butter now. You want 4 tablespoons butter and 7 ounce of chocolate. Make this exact. You don't want me to cry, do you?

Take a saucepan and fill it with water, and simmer it on your stove. In the meantime, take you chocolate and your butter, and put it in a bowl. Once the water is simmering, put it above the water ( NOT ON TOP OF IT) and mix until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Don't do this in the microwave okay? I know you're considering it. Then add you vanilla extract.

Now, take 3 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of warm water, and add them to your kitchen aid.  Begin to mix it until it is frothy. Add two tablespoons of granulated sugar, and beat on high for about 5 minutes, or until it forms ribbons.

In the meantime, add your grated orange to your chocolate mixture. I did about 1/2 an orange.

When your egg yolks are done, begin to fold them into your chocolate until completely mix. Remember, fold. Do not stir.

Take six room temperature egg whites, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, and add to your RINSED OUT kitchen aid. Begin to beat it until its frothing. Once it's frothing, add 1/2 cup of sugar. Now put that baby on high. You want to see the finished product with peaks that are stiff. 

Tada! We got stiff peaks ;) Okay, that was weird. Ignore the wink face. 

Alright. Now, take your chocolate and take 1/3 of your egg whites, and fold it in gently. WORK QUICKLY. Really, work quickly. Time is important here! Once thats folded in, fold in the rest. Again, never stir!

It should be the consistency of a mousse. Ladle it into your ramekins, being careful to not get any on the edges. Once it's in, smooth the top down with a straight edge. Sorry, at this point I didn't get any pictures because I was working quickly to keep my egg mixture light. 

In the oven for 17 minutes, or until it's raised about 1 inch above the surface of the ramekin. DO NOT OPEN OVEN. Very important. Even try to keep the noise down. That may be an old wives tale, but I wouldn't risk it. You don't want a squid ward moment, do you?

Sprinkle on some confectioners sugar and enjoy!

-Danielle.

recipe.