The sweetest air

ChocSouffle4

(Bitter chocolate souffle with warm chocolate sauce)

There are certain foods I am not a huge fan of eating, yet I still appreciate them as an art form because of the skill involved in their creation. Macarons are an example of this (a shocking admission, isn’t it?), as are souffles.

At one place I worked, we made our souffles a la minute. An order would come in, and we would start whipping the egg whites by hand, adding the sugar slowly, then finally incorporating the resulting meringue into a fruit flavoured base. Quantities were ‘eye-balled’, rather than measured, so it was very crucial to make sure you tasted everything before sliding the little perfectly shiny copper pot filled with souffle mix into the hot oven. No matter how many I may have made, I still got great pleasure from seeing the well risen end product swiftly dispatched by the waiter to the dining room.

The most memorable souffle I have ever eaten, was one served to us at Claude’s several years ago. Six of the most perfectly risen souffles arrived simultaneously at the table. We were instructed to make an indent in our souffles with a spoon, though which a waiter then poured a gloriously boozy custard. I ate -every- single last spoonful of it. It was wonderful and warming, and a tremendous way to end a meal.

VanillaSouffle

(Brandied fruit and vanilla souffle)

A good friend recently asked me for help in finding some suitable non-fruit based souffle recipes that she could use. I tried two, which with a bit of luck, ended up being very successful. Both souffles had great lift, were very stable, and were cooked just the way I prefer souffles to be – set around the outside, with a melting texture in the middle.

No recipe today, as I just wanted to share some pictures. It was my first time baking souffles at home, so I was keen to try my hand at photographing them too. The pictures turned out fairly well, even if the whole process was a combination of being a little frantic and hilarious at the same time. And you know what, I tasted them, and think I may be a fan of “certain” souffles after all!

ChocSouffle5

Comments (81)

Tags: , , , , ,

She exhales. Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake.

Tired. Weary. Slump-shouldered.

Is it really almost October?

Where did another year go? All work and little play. Sometimes I wish time would stand still so that I could

Stop.

Breathe out.

Share a piece of chocolate cake with someone I love.

Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake :
(serves 10; from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich)

1/4 cup blanched almonds
3 tablespoons plain flour
85g bittersweet (preferably 70%) chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 tablespoon brandy
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
scant 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 190’C. Place a round of baking paper in the bottom of an 8 x 3 inch springform pan and spray the sides with vegetable oil spray.

In a food processor or blender, grind the almonds with the flour until very fine. Set aside.

Combine the chocolate, cocoa and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the egg yolks and brandy; set aside.

Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until stiff but not dry.

Whisk the flour and almond mixture into the chocolate. Fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites. Scrape the batter into the pan and level the top if necessary.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. The torte will sink like a souffle.

Taking care not to crack the edges of the torte, run a knife between the torte and the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate. Remove the pan bottom and paper liner. Turn right side up on a platter. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift a little powdered sugar over the top. Serve with a little whipped cream, if you like.

[Note: Amazingly, this cake has no butter. It has a pure chocolate taste, that calls for the use of the best chocolate possible. I served mine with a dollop of double cream]

Comments (39)

Tags: , ,