Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces

Instructions

Brush 8 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter. Sprinkle the granulated sugar on the inside of the prepared ramekins and tilt to coat with sugar. Tap out the excess.

In a small bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a barely simmering pan of water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate until melted. Immediately remove from the heat.

In the meantime, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and ribboned, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture and beat until light.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins. Drop each gently 2-inches from the work surface to remove any air pockets. Level the top with the blunt side of a knife. With your thumb and forefinger, rim the cup to allow the soufflé to rise evenly. Place on a baking sheet with space in between each one and bake in the middle of the oven until well risen, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately with dusted with confectoner’s sugar and crème anglaise and chocolate sauce.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ½ cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a small saucepan, combine the cocoa, water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.

CRÈME ANGLAISE

1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 egg yolks

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk , sugar and vanilla bean stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks to break them up, but don't make them foam. Whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg yolks to warm them. Return the eggs to the pan and cook the custard, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon, approximately 170°F. Test it by drawing your finger across the back of the spoon. If your finger leaves a trail in the custard, the custard has cooked to the right consistency. Immediately strain into a bowl and chill.

Makes 2 cups