Chocolate Soufflé

I don't remember the first time it started taking shape. I've been fascinated with food and for as long as I can remember I've always collected them. When my friends would collect sports cards or, dare I say it, coins (well, not my friends but somebody was doing it) I would be trying to get my hands on a new cookbook. Like a vinyl record, I couldn't wait to get it home and enjoy it. But after I get them they tend to sit for long periods of time. 

I still flip through them. I love the sound and feeling of the pages pushing one another over like dominoes. I'll grab a cup of coffee in the morning and look at the pictures for inspiration. Some of the images are straight up food porn, both tempting and mouth-watering. Now I don't usually recite a recipe or copy down main components of it. It's just not my thing. But I will use the recipe as my muse and flip the switch on it. 



I can remember the moment when I first saw this image of a souffle a few years ago and it has stuck with me. It wasn't chocolate but it was lovely enough to cling to one of the banks where my memory washes up to from time to time. It was a raspberry souffle that looked incredibly fluffy and light. To this day when I think of a souffle I think of that beautiful picture. It hooked me in. Big fish style.

The problem that stymied me was trying to make this lovely chocolate creation. I used to look at an image of a souffle and convince myself that it wasn't in my repertoire. It looked too beautiful, too scientific, too French. I thought there was a secret to the madness and I didn't hold the key to unlock it. So I passed on it. Again and again. But one day came when I threw caution to the wind and decided I would attempt to climb that mental mountain. 

I now regret all those years of waiting.


A great soufflé has to be light with a thick, creamy interior. Some chocolate soufflé recipes are made with cocoa alone, but I prefer a good quality dark chocolate incorporated with cocoa when I make mine and the results speak for themselves. The key is using the best quality chocolate you can buy, which goes without saying. The first bite will have you singing. It's really, really good. Almost orgasmic.


The really fascinating thing about making your own soufflé is watching them rise in the oven. It's the show before the main event. It's kind of like sitting by your window as a kid and eagerly awaiting for all your friends to show up. And they always did. 


The key in making the soufflé rise is brushing your butter in strokes upwards on the inside your ramekin or dish. It helps guide the mixture up and out, almost guiding it as it moves. And when it starts to inch up inside the oven you won't be able to contain your happiness. You'll always remember that moment the first time you make it.

If loving souffles wasn't bad enough, I also have this thing for chocolate. I crave it and usually can't get enough of it. It's the sweet and savoury aspect that locks me in. I'm hooked, and I don't see it changing any time soon. From the first bite to the last, this souffle satisfies those needs. It oozes chocolate goodness. It's rich and wonderful. 


The best part of a recipe like this is sharing it with your favourite person in the world. That's an easy one for me. My wife. She's off on a shoot today. She had to drive through a snowstorm to a destination a couple hours away, but I can't wait to have this with her when she gets back. The sweet finish to a great day!


From my kitchen to yours, happy eating!

Chocolate Souffle

The Goods:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 50 grams dark chocolate (70% cocoa), grated
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 vanilla pod
• pinch of salt

Prep:

1. Brush the softened butter over the sides and bottom of the ramekin. For the sides, apply upward strokes to allow the souffle to rise vertically. Next, mix some of the grated chocolate and sugar and pour into one ramekin, shake it around so all sides are covered and dump into the next ramekin. Once both are coated, refridgerate until ready.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a bowl until they are foamy. Add 1/3 cup sugar and beat gradually. Continue until the egg whites have medium-soft peaks.
3. Meanwhile, stir the chopped chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan with simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat. Add the water and cocao powder and  mix until combined and smooth. Fold a bit of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold more, 1/4 at a time, until well combined.
4. Divide the souffle batter among the ramekins and, using a butter knife, level the the top so it's flush with the top of each ramekin. Wipe the edge clean.
5. Bake the souffles on a baking sheet until they lift up by an 1" or more, but are still moist in the middle, about 12 minutes.
6. Serves 2.

 
**This post made Foodbuzz Top 9!

My Ultimate Granola

When I was a kid growing up my idea of breakfast was cinnamon french toast, bacon and eggs and buttery pancakes. Granola? That was just a term I used to hear bandied about when referring to someone from the 60's. I didn't know the first thing about granola, except that I didn't want any part of it. So I stuck to the all-American breakfast and kept my hair short.

I still have this soft spot for the sweet and salty breakfasts I grew up on. We live in a health conscious society today but they say everything is ok in moderation. I hope that means every weekend. If not, I'm in for a wake-up call the next time I see Doc. Anyway, I still love the taste and texture of bacon, my favourite food group. It's hard to knock a good  bad habit.
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Dark Chocolate-Covered Clementines with Chili Salt

This is my idea of the perfect midday snack. It's sweet and savoury, salty and spicy. A fireworks of flavours and pleasure. Juice explodes with every nibble and transforms from everyday fruit segment into a sweet and salty afternoon addiction. This is perfect all by itself. It's also great with your afternoon tea.

I love the combination of orange and chocolate and this is another one of those simple recipes that anybody can make and everybody will enjoy. Three ingredients: Dark chocolate, clementines and salt (or in this case chili salt). One happy ending.

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Chocolate Crinkles with Sambuca and Coffee Extract

I'm going to keep this short and sweet today. And what's sweeter than a last minute cookie recipe to make for your family for the holidays. Nothing says happy holidays like a batch of chocolate crinkles, specifically a batch of grown-up cookies with hints of coffee and licorice. It adds to the flavour and texture profiles.

The only way to ensure a chewy, domed batch of crinkled goodies is to refrigerate them for a few hours. Chilling the cookie dough allows them to hold their shape and the chewy texture is properly attained. The extra few hours in the prep time only enhance the finished batch and it's definitely worth the wait.

Ready, set and go. These are ready for the oven!

Hot out of the oven, these cookies have a slight crispiness to the outside and are soft and chewy in the middle. Bake as many of these as you can eat in a day. These are best eaten while warm and fresh. They do last up to a week when properly stored but nothing touches the flavour and texture of those first few hours.

These are perfect for the holidays. Beautifully flawed and incredibly tasty.

Happy Eating!! Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Crinkles

The Goods:

• 1 tbsp.unsalted butter
• 250 grams semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup Sambuca
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. coffee extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup icing sugar

Prep:

1. Using a metal bowl over a medium pot with 2 inches of simmer water, add the butter. Stir until melted and dd the chopped chocolate. Stir until just melted and remove from the heat. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip the eggs with sugar, vanilla, Sambuca and coffee extract until both pale and thick, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3-4 hours before baking.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Spoon the cookie batter by tablespoons and roll gently to shape into a 1" ball. Roll the cookie in icing sugar until completely covered. Place gently on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until you lift a cookie off the tray and it comes off cleanly.

Crinkles have a lovely crisp exterior and a soft and chewy middle. Fudge heaven.

These cookies make fantastic gifts! If you don't eat them all first!

Dark Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut butter and chocolate. I'm beginning to salivate just hearing those words. What a great combination of flavours. No, not great. Amazing. I know this to be true because a simple Internet search produces countless recipes and variations using both of these ingredients together. That's how they roll. Together. It's classic, really. Peanut butter and chocolate. Anything.

I'm throwing down an admission. Since I was a kid I've loved candy bars. I could debate the merits of one over another. I had a top 5 list even. Guess what? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups didn't make that cut. Not even close. The store-bought variety just didn't match up with the nuggets and caramel and gooey goodness.

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