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4 from 1 vote

Mini Chocolate Soufflés

If you are a chocolate lover, you need to give this mini chocolate souffle recipe a try. It's light, fluffy and oh so decadent.
Course Dessert
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author Lisa B.

Ingredients

For the chocolate pastry cream:

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1-1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbs. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbs. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. table salt
  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
  • 1/2 oz. 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter softened
  • 3 to 4 Tbs. granulated sugar

For the meringue:

  • 8 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 oz. 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar; more for dusting

Instructions

For the pastry cream:

  • Fill a large bowl about 2/3 full with ice water. Set aside. Have a slightly small bowl ready. You are going to pour your cooled pastry cream into the smaller bowl to cool once it’s done cooking.
  • In a large saucepan, combine egg yolks, milk, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Heat pan over medium heat and whisk until the mixture begins to form bubbles, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth and very thick, approximately 2 minutes.
  • Remove pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Continue whisking until the cream is smooth and glossy.
  • Transfer pastry cream to the smaller bowl you have on standby. Set the smaller bowl in the bowl full of ice water. Allow the pastry cream to sit for about 10 minutes until it comes to room temperature, whisking often. At this point you can cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one day. Be sure to bring it back to room temperature before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

For the soufflés:

  • Position your oven rack to the lower third of your oven. Then preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Grease eight (6 oz.) ramekins with the softened butter. Coat the inside with granulated sugar and gently tap out an excess.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and beat for an additional 30-60 seconds or until very soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 30 seconds more.
  • Stir the room-temperature meringue with a spatula to loosen it. Gently add a third of the meringue to the pastry cream bowl. Gently run the spatula around the edge of the bowl, then bring it through the middle. Continue “folding” the mixture until it is mostly incorporated, however there will be a few streaks left. Continue this process with the remaining pastry cream – one third at a time – until all of the meringue is incorporated and and there are no white streaks remaining.
  • Fill the prepared ramekins with the soufflé mixture, being sure to smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Run your index finger the edge of each ramekins to create a small trench around the edge of the soufflé (this will help the soufflé rise). At this point you can store the prepared soufflés in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
  • Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and gently place them in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with just the tip wet.
  • Quicky dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.