Chocolate Orange Souffle

These gooey chocolate and orange soufflés are sinfully delicious. So many chocolate soufflés are made with cocoa, but these ones are made with real chocolate, cream and some boozy Cointreau. Soufflés are really no big mystery. The major problem is catching that moment when they are just out of the oven looking their very best. Unfortunately, by the time I took these upstairs to a cold room, set up my camera and waited for some better light, my soufflés were, well, not as ‘puffed up’ as they had been. Thankfully, it doesn’t detract from the wonderful taste though.

For the perfect soufflé, it’s all about timing. You want to take them out of the oven at just the right moment, so the center is still molten and gooey. If you are serving these at a dinner party, it’s best to put these in the oven during dinner, so they will be perfect and puffy, just in time for dessert. To serve, sprinkle them with a dusting of powdered sugar, and a small glug of fresh cream.

Makes 4 ramekins

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Soufflé:

• 100g of dark chocolate
• 60mls of double cream
• Zest of half an orange, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons of Cointreau
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon of butter for greasing ramekins
• 3 egg whites
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon of powdered sugar ( for dusting)

Method

1. Melt the chocolate along with the cream in a bowl, over a saucepan of boiling water, over  a low heat on the stove.
2. Once the chocolate has melted, add the orange zest and Cointreau.
3. Take the sauce off the heat, and allow to cool slightly.
4. As soon as the chocolate is tepid, add the egg yolks and stir until smooth.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.
6. Butter  4 ramekins with a little butter.
7. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
8. Add the cream of tartar and the sugar, and beat until you have firm peaks.
9. Fold about a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate.
10. Then, gently fold in the remaining whites.
11. Spoon the mixture into the buttered ramekins.
12. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. The soufflés should be well risen, but with a bit of a wobble in the center.
13. Dust the soufflés with powdered sugar.
14. Serve immediately, with some whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.