Chocolate Souffles with Brown Sugar & Rum Whipped Cream
Yeah, you read that right. Chocolate Souffles with Brown Sugar & Rum Whipped Cream. And they’re easy to make, too. But first things first.
Happy Holidays to you! I am sooo in the holiday spirit this year! I absolutely LOVE Christmas time. Yes, it’s busy and crazy and occasionally a little overwhelming with all the things that must be done, but what you get out of what you give makes it all worthwhile. Of course, it helps to have two awesome little girls who are at the perfect Christmas ages right now! They’re six and four, where life is still in that magical place where fairies and Santa happily exist just for them. And it’s such a fun thing to be a part of. By the way, if you have young children you have to check out this free Santa video message to send to your kids!
(I know, I know, I’m getting to the chocolate souffles…settle down, would ya’?).
I went a bit overboard on the presents this year. However, in my defense, Amazon is just too freaking awesome in terms of great deals on toys (and I found this inexpensive yet highly rated Souffle Dish
Now that the fun of ordering the gifts is over but Christmas hasn’t officially arrived yet, the time for planning my Christmas menu is here! YAY! I love this part, too! I pre-ordered two prime rib roasts (from Omaha Steaks…has anyone actually ever ordered anything from them before? this will be my first experience) and the rest of the menu is all set and ready to go. Including…these fabulous chocolate souffles!
The secret to pulling off a successful holiday dinner is to make sure that you balance one or two more time-consuming dishes with others that are either very simple and quick to make, or something you can make entirely beforehand. And these chocolate souffles, delicious and impressive as they are, can be made up to a week before. I know, right? Isn’t that just so fabulous? Merry Christmas to you! :-)
This chocolate souffle recipe comes from none other than my beloved Fine Cooking. And since the very first time I made these chocolate souffles they’ve become a holiday staple. And the best part is that they go directly from freezer to oven so you just bake them when you’re ready. It’s perfect! Whoever heard of a chocolate souffle that could do that?!!
Okay, are you ready for the recipe? Scroll on down, my friend! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Cheers,
1/2 oz. (1 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. whole milk
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, preferably 64% cacao, chopped
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks
For the cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs. light brown or demerara sugar
1 Tbs. dark rum
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Make the soufflés
Brush eight 6-oz. straight-sided ramekins with the butter and coat evenly with 2 Tbs. of the sugar, tapping out the excess. Set aside.
In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until steaming hot. Add the chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until melted. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbs. water in a 2-quart saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let sit at room temperature while you whip the egg whites.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the whites. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites hold medium peaks, about 1-1/2 minutes.
Mix the egg yolks into the melted chocolate until combined. Fold one-third of the whites into the chocolate mixture until totally combined. Add the remaining two-thirds of the whites and fold until no streaks remain. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins. Freeze until solid, at least 8 hours ahead, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. (The soufflés may be made to this point up to 1 week ahead.)
Bake the soufflésWhen ready to serve, position a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Remove the ramekins from the freezer and bake until the tops are puffed and cracked (either at the edges or on top) and the soufflés are barely set in the middle, 18 to 20 minutes.
Make the whipped creamWhile the soufflés are baking, in a medium bowl, whip the cream using a hand mixer on medium speed until thickened enough to hold very soft peaks. Add the brown sugar, rum, and vanilla and continue to mix until soft peaks form.
Serve the soufflés, topped with dollops of whipped cream, immediately after baking.
One note…the recipe says that they’re done when they’re “barely set in the middle”…be careful of this!! I have personally found that you want them just past this point, when they look done but have just reached this stage and no longer. Any sooner and they’ll be slightly funny and not as fluffy as they should be. Bake one before the big day to make sure you’ve got the timing down right…just sayin’!
OMG, these look amazing! Once I work of 2010 holiday pounds I'll be whipping these up! Love the new blog look, too! :) Happy New Year Kristi!
Looks amazing!!! I would love to try this for valentine's day!!
I've made these before, but the flavored whipped cream takes it up a level, sounds yummy.
I've never even attempted a souffle because I'm so afraid of it falling… too many baking mishaps on TV are psyching me out. Help!