Chocolate Soufflés For Two

A perfect treat for Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients

for two servings 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch cream of tartar Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions

Step one: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step two:

Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease two ramekins.

Step three:

Coat the ramekins with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.

Step four: In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted and smooth.

Step five:

Stir in vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time.

Step six: In a clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar just until stiff peaks form.

Step seven:

Gently fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate. Spoon into the prepared ramekins. (Or glass bowls; more on that later)

Step eight: Bake until puffed and set, about 20 minutes

About this recipe:

I made this on a Friday night, and we might have eaten dessert first, but I did manage to make something this week! As you can see from the photos, I did not use ceramic ramekins, but I used these one-cup glass Pyrex storage containers. These worked beautifully, I did need to cook them a little longer than the recipe suggested, but other than that, I found no differences in taste or appearance.

Check your cabinet:

Please do not repeat my failure and see that you need cream of tartar for this recipe, pick some up while you’re at the grocery store to add to your other unopened bottles of cream of tartar. Check your cabinets, just a little public service announcement.

Pros:

This recipe is straightforward and takes just a few minutes to put together. It allows you to employ many “shortcuts” such as using a microwave to melt the chocolate and a hand mixer to beat the egg whites.

Cons:

Soufflé can be temperamental, making the timing of it a little tricky, hence why we had dessert first. I’ve read a lot of recipes that say you can refrigerate it up to a day before you bake it, but I was not brave enough to try that as I did not want it to fall. If you’ve tried this before successfully, let me know!