Nail this super simple choc souffle

• Makes 8

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

melted butter, for greasing
icing (confectioners’) sugar, for coating the moulds
35 g unsalted butter
40 g plain (all-purpose) flour
pinch of salt
190 ml milk
35 g caster (superfine) sugar (a)
135 g good-quality chocolate, coarsely chopped (70% cocoa solids)
80 g (about 4) egg yolks
125 g (about 5) egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
50 g caster (superfine) sugar (b)
icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Prepare eight 8 x 6.5 cm (31/4 x 21/2 inch) ramekins or soufflé moulds by brushing melted butter inside the ramekins until evenly coated. Dust the inside of the ramekins with sugar and tap out the excess. Place the prepared ramekins on a baking tray.

Mix the butter, flour and salt with your hands until they form a paste, leaving no dry flour. Put the milk and caster sugar (a) in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the flour and butter paste to the hot milk and whisk for 3 minutes, or until the paste dissolves and the mixture has a thick, gummy texture. Add the chocolate and egg yolks and stir until melted and combined.

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed to medium peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar (b) and continue whisking to stiff, glossy peaks. Add one-third of the meringue to the chocolate mixture at a time and gently fold it through by hand with a spatula before adding the remainder.

Once combined, divide the mixture between the eight soufflé moulds by spooning it in to just below the top. Bake the soufflés immediately for 9–10 minutes – the baking time may vary if you use different-sized ramekins. Serve the soufflés as soon they come out of the oven, dusted with icing sugar.

• Recipes and Images from Chocolate by Kirsten Tibballs (Murdoch Books) photographer Greg Elms $49.99

Notes