Chocolate Souffle - The Ups and the Downs

Chocolate Souffle

As promised, I am posting pictures of the chocolate souffle that I made for dessert last night. It was good but not quite what I was expected. I was expecting chocolate goo below the crusty top but it wasn't gooey enough. However, the souffle I made was indeed soft and it melts upon contact in the mouth! :)

I will need to experiment with this basic souffle recipe again, i need it to be gooey just like the one I had in Miso.

Anyway, i used this recipe I found online in Epicurious - Chocolate Souffle

Recipe:

1/3 cup sugar plus additional for sprinkling
5 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 large egg yolks at room temperature
6 large egg whites

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter soufflé dish and sprinkle with sugar, knocking out excess.

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and stir in yolks (mixture will stiffen).

*I put the egg yolk and chocolate mixture on the stove while it's hot so that it doesn't stiffen so much. It really helps later when you want to mix and fold the egg whites in.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add 1/3 cup sugar, a little at a time, continuing to beat at medium speed, then beat at high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir about 1 cup whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then add mixture to remaining whites, folding gently but thoroughly.

Spoon into soufflé dish and run the end of your thumb around inside edge of soufflé dish (this will help soufflé rise evenly). Bake in middle of oven until puffed and crusted on top but still jiggly in the center, for 24 to 26 minutes. Serve immediately.

The Souffle looked really puffed up in the oven. As you can see here:

The ups..

But as soon as i take them out, they start deflating almost immediately!

...and the downs

But that's expected according to websites. The souffle is made out of air bubbles and once the cold air hits the souffle, it'll start deflating. The best thing is, it doesn't compromise the taste though...:)