A few days ago, my sisters and niece came out to The Farm for some fun in the unseasonably warm temps we have been so loving these last few days (80 here today!). There is little more that I love than sharing wine, food and fresh air with people I love…especially now that the babies are old enough to enjoy the outdoors.
We had some fun playing with wagons, twigs, grass and, of course, the gaggle of dogs that always seem to be around. Evan had some fun getting super messy with these Gerber Fruit Pouches he’s recently become addicted to (although I think he likes squeezing the fruit all over the place more than he actually likes eating it).
My sister, Katie, and her niece and nephew...and The Dogs.
Isn't she adorable? She's single, too, guys! *wink wink*
Making faces at Ainsley...I'm incapable of having 'nice' pictures taken of me. At least Evan is adorable.
My sweet sister, Lizzie.
I wanted to cook for them and, since I was in a chocolaty mood, I decided to make a couple of chocolate souffles (to be served, of course, after homemade pizza. We eat healthy.). I had found this recipe online and have made it a few times…turns out, souffles are easier to make than you might think (I know I say that about everything, but trust me…if I can make a recipe turn out right, anybody can make the recipe turn out right!). I like this recipe because it makes 2 large souffles – not 6 or 8 – which can be easily split by 3 or 4 people. They are pretty good sized. And, holy buckets…are they ever delicious! So, if you’re looking for a way to make a couple of fantastic desserts, here you are. The best part is that they can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. By now, you should be out of reasons why you can’t make these souffles…. 
Here we go with a little “how to”.
Chocolate Souffles for Two
3 ounces semisweet chocolate (about 1/2 cup if using chocolate chips)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs coffee
2 large egg yolks – room temperature
2 large egg whites – room temperature
pinch cream of tartar
3 tbs white sugar
Start by buttering and sugaring 2 good sized ramekins. I love ramekins. I have 3 different sets in my kitchen and I wish I had more. They are so cute and useful, don’t you think?? But I digress…back to the task at hand. Here’s what your ramekins should look like.
Now, place a heat proof bowl over a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the chocolate, coffee and butter.
Stir over heat until it’s melted and smooth. Then remove it from the heat and place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool.
In the bowl of your mixer, add the egg white and cream of tartar. Begin whisking it on high.
When it is getting foamy and looking fluffy, this is called a ‘soft peak’. At this point, you are going to want to gradually add the sugar with the mixer running.
Whisk on high until you get a ‘stiff peak,’ which looks like this:
Once your chocolate mixture has cooled (no need to be cold, just needs to be about room temp so it doesn’t ruin the rest of the recipe), mix in the egg yolks.
Now add 1/3 of the fluffy egg white mixture to the chocolate and GENTLY fold it in. Take your time here…don’t rush it and risk popping all the little air bubbles that have formed. If you’re new to this cooking technique here’s the low down: take a rubber scrapper and slowly scoop down and around the bowl, carefully pulling the bottom towards the top and laying it down. Move your way around the bowl until the mixture is consistent looking.
When that’s folded in, add the rest of the egg white mixture and fold it in.
Your souffle mixture should look about like this:
Now gently transfer the batter to the 2 ramekins and smooth out the tops.
At this point, you can either cover them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge, or bake them. When you’re ready to bake, turn the oven on to 375 and put them in for about 18-20 minutes. You’ll know they are done when they have risen up and look firm on the top. If they are at all loose looking, let the cook longer. Be careful here…you don’t want them to fall. Eat them ASAP…as if waiting were an option!
Aren’t they lovely? Serve them with whipped cream, powdered sugar and/or ice cream and enjoy one of the most richly chocolate desserts you’ll ever eat. And, it’s okay to get it all over your face and clothing…that’s how you know it’s good!
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Posted in
Outdoors,
Parenthood,
Recipes,
Sweets,
The Farm Life and tagged
baking,
chocolate,
chocolate souffles,
cooking,
desserts,
family,
farm life,
food,
Iowa,
outdoors
