Chocolate soufflé

A story unto itself.

A satisfying end to a Sunday family dinner.

I made this chocolate soufflé from a recipe in my old, tattered copy of Fannie Farmers.

I added more chocolate. Of course.

It's not as difficult as it sounds.

Search for the Julia Child within you. You can make soufflé, too!

Ingredients
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in the microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power until it's melted. Stir together and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture is just ready to boil. It will be thick. Add the chocolate and the vanilla.

Beat the egg yolks well. Add a little of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and stir well. Add the eggs to the rest of the chocolate mixture and beat well. Set aside.

In a mixer beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. This the key to an amazing soufflé. Don't overbeat!

Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Add this mixture to the egg whites. Gently fold into the whites. It's okay if there are white streaks in the mixture. Don't over fold!

Butter a soufflé dish (I used a 2 quart dish, but you can use a 1 1/2 quart dish). Sprinkle the dish with sugar. Gently spoon the mixture into the dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven). Don't open the oven during the first 15 minutes!

Watch the soufflé closely. It can take it 15 minutes to start rising, so don't panic if it doesn't start to rise right away.

Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Enjoy!