It’s a great day. Not only is it Taste Test Tuesday, but my Dad is here for a visit! I knew that there needed to be CHOCOLATE for him. And he agreed to be a taste test panelist. (I may have gotten my love for taste tests partially from my Dad…we have been doing taste tests at home ever since I was a kid!)
So this is a special edition of Taste Test Tuesday. The taste test results will be posted next week, but today I am sharing the recipe for “Foolproof Mini Chocolate Souffles with Sauce.” Oh. My. Goodness. These little souffles are amazing. I got this recipe a couple years ago from my co-worker, Aubrey. (Hi, Aubrey!) And I’ve made them only a few times for special occasions, but these are some of the easiest and BEST Chocolate Souffles I have ever eaten!
I’m going to challenge these homemade Souffles to a taste test versus homemade Chocolate Molten Lava Cake! (I’ll share this recipe next week.) The Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is a favorite recipe of my daughter, Amber. (Hi, Amber!) They are both amazing recipes that I honestly don’t know which one will be crowned the winner!
I will have some more pictures and results for you next week. Until then, try this Chocolate Souffle Recipe. You’ll either be glad you did, or you’ll be cursing me for sharing such a tempting dessert that you crave weekly! 
Foolproof Mini Chocolate Souffles with Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar + 4 teaspoons for coating
- 8 squares (8 ounces semisweet chocolate)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly rub four individual soufflé dishes with butter. Put 1 teaspoon sugar in each dish, and tilt the dish so that the buttered surfaces are covered with sugar. Use more sugar if necessary. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate in a heavy frying pan over very low heat, stirring constantly. When the chocolate is almost melted, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. The heat of the pan will melt the remaining chocolate.
- Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a medium metal or ceramic bowl with no traces of grease, and the yolks in another medium bowl. Set the yolks aside.
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer just until they form stiff peaks. Do not over beat. Set aside.
- Add the ½ cup sugar and vanilla to the yolks and beat with an electric mixer or a whisk for about 1 minute, or until thick and light yellow.
- Add half the melted chocolate to the beaten yolk mixture. Set aside the rest of the chocolate for making the sauce. Stir the chocolate mixture thoroughly. Add the beaten egg whites and fold them together gently with a rubber spatula, turning the mixture over repeatedly until no white is showing.
- Pour the mixture evenly among the four prepared soufflé dishes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mini soufflés have risen and are beginning to brown. Remove from the oven.
- To Make the Sauce: While the mini soufflé are baking, add the cream to the reserved melted chocolate and stir thoroughly to incorporate, If the chocolate is too firm, heat it for about 1 minute over very low heat, stirring constantly, until it softens enough to combine with the cream.
- Unlike most souffles, which must be served as soon as they come out of the oven, these mini souffles can wait to be served for up to 30 minutes. Their tops will fall a little, but no one will notice because, just before serving, you make an incision in the top of each one with a knife, and then spoon in about 2 tablespoons of the warm chocolate sauce. If the souffle hasn't fully cooked, no one will notice, because of the added sauce. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator. (Ha! What leftovers?)
