Desserts are the reward at the end of a meal. This cold chocolate souffle is so rich and luscious that it is like getting the grand prize. Since it is served cold, it has the added benefit of being a perfect make ahead dessert. A simple garnish of whipped cream and it is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat.
The word souffle is French for puffed-up. While we normally think of a souffle as a finicky dish that is cooked in the oven. This dish uses a double boiler to melt chocolate and heat a custard. Egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and then gently folded with the custard to create an airy rich dessert that can be popped in the refrigerator for several hours. When ready to serve, there is no danger of this souffle deflating.
Why Use a Double Boiler
A double boiler is a two pan system of cooking on the stovetop. The bottom pan is filled with water and the top pan holds the mixture is cooked. This system uses steam to gently heat the top pan. This is perfect for cooking delicate sauces, egg-based dishes, or melting chocolate. Since indirect heat is necessary to prevent these foods from scorching, curdling, or in the case of chocolate seizing into a grainy mess.
Improvised Double Boiler
Don’t worry if you don’t own a double boiler set up since you can make a DIY version with a medium-size saucepan and a heat-proof bowl.
- Make sure the bowl is of the size and shape that the bottom won’t touch the water in the saucepan. You want the steam from the water to be what is heating the bowl not the water itself.
- Bowls that are shallow and wide are best since that shape will seal the saucepan easily and allow you to stir the mixture without flinging ingredients out of the top.
- This arrangement is especially important for melting chocolate since the wider bowl will direct steam away from the chocolate. Water droplets in chocolate will cause it to seize (turn into a lumpy gritty mess).
- Use a heat pad to lift the bowl or to study it as you stir.
- Monitor the heat level to maintain a simmer. You can even turn the heat off and let the residual steam heat the top bowl.
There are universal double-boiler pans (pans that fit over your regular saucepans) that are available to purchase at a kitchen store or online. If you enjoy making custards and sauces and working with chocolate a dedicated pan is a worthwhile investment. Just remember that while it may look like a regular pan, the top part is made with a very thin bottom and is not constructed to be used directly on the stovetop.
Choosing Chocolate for Cold Chocolate Souffle
Use dark chocolate, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate in this recipe. Baking chocolate will labeled with the percentage of chocolate to sugar. The label should also include the percentage of cocoa beans used, but you often have to search for that information.
- Semisweet chocolate has 35-60%chocolate.
- Dark chocolate has 70% chocolate
- Bittersweet has 65-80% chocolate.
- Unsweetened chocolate has 85-100% chocolate.
This recipe also calls for unsweetened chocolate to provide not only the deep chocolate taste like cocoa powder, but it also gives us the cocoa butter that is found in the cacao bean and adds to the rich mouth feel.
While this recipe does use several pans and mixers, each set is straightforward and combine to make a rich and luscious cold chocolate souffle. Take a breath and follow each step. Prepare this recipe in small (3-5 ounce) ramekins. It is very rich so a little goes a long way.
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Cold Chocolate Souffle
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 30 minutes 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: stovetop
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A classic dessert of cold chocolate souffle is perfect for summer eating. Rich and decadent this dessert will satisfy the most avid chocoholic. And, best of all—it is gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup butter, softened plus 1 tablespoon for oiling ramekins
- 6 ounces bittersweet, dark or semisweet chocolate
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 6 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar plus more for garnish
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Lightly oil ramekins with softened butter and arrange on a tray that will fit in the refrigerator. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Carefully separate the egg yolks from the egg whites into two separate bowls. Make sure there is no yolk in the egg whites as that will prevent the egg whites from forming stiff peaks
- In a small saucepan combine 6 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and bring to a boil to create a syrup. Set aside to cool until warm.
- Put 1-2” of water in the bottom of a double boiler ate bring to a simmer. Place the top pan of a heat-proof bowl on top. Add the butter, dark chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in the top bowl and melt over a double boiler stirring occasionally until smooth. Be careful not to overheat. When melted, turn off the heat and let the chocolate cool slightly while you prepare the egg yolks and whip the egg whites.
- In a mixing bowl, whip 6 egg yolks with a mixer until uniformly colored about 3 minutes. Slowly pour warm syrup from saucepan over whipped egg yolks. Continue to whip with mixer on high until the egg yolks and sugar syrup mixture has tripled in volume.
- In a separate bowl ( or bowl of a stand mixer) that is clean, dry, and oil-free very clean, oil-free, whip egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar until the egg whites form stiff peaks. (Be careful to whip the egg whites to only stiff peaks that are still shiny but not dry looking.)
- Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into melted chocolate stirring only to just combine.
- Fold whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter being careful to incorporate the egg whites but not lose the whipped airiness from the whipped eggs.
- Portion the batter into cool prepared ramekins and wipe the edges clean.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours or preferably overnight.
- Just before serving, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of cream of tartar to help stabilize the cream.
- Dust each ramekin top with powdered sugar. Dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on top and serve.
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