This evening, in the middle of watching Tommy Boy with Mads, I decided to make a chocolate souffle.  



Chocolate Souffle (via Sprinkle Bakes)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder6 tbls hot water1 tbls unsalted butter1 tbls canola oil3 tbls all purpose flour1 tbls ground almonds or hazelnuts¼ tbls ground cinnamon3 tbls packed brown sugar2 tbls honey1/8 teaspoon salt¾ cup 1 percent low fat milk4 egg whites3 tbls granulated sugar1 tsp confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat six 1 cup souffle dishes or ramekins with cooking spray or coat a 6 cup souffle dish with the spray. In a small bowl combine the cocoa and hot water, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the canola oil and stir to combine. Add the flour, ground almonds, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in the brown sugar, honey and salt. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir into the cocoa mixture. Let cool slightly.

In a large spotlessly clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture to lighten it. Then fold the remaining egg whites into the cocoa mixture, mixing only until no white streaks remain.

Gently scoop the cocoa-egg white mixture into the prepared dishes (or dish). Bake until the souffle rises above the rim and is set in the center 15-20 minutes for individual souffles or 40-45 minutes for large souffle. Using a fine mesh sieve, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately, garnished with the raspberries.

Though I still need to perfect my folding technique (I deflated the egg white a bit too much, which meant the souffles didn’t raise as high,) the souffles were light and spongey and not too sweet. I warmed up some frozen raspberries with granulated sugar and used that as a sauce. I had high hope to make a powdered sugar snowflake on the top (to bid adieu to winter?) but that didn’t work out as planned. Baby steps.I’ve been watching a lot of Food. Curated. videos lately and recommend you check them out too! It’s a great way to find out about the amazing foods people are making locally (like my personal fave, Robicellis cupcakes) and get to know the people behind the scenes. There’s a lot of Greenpoint love!