Celebrate Chocolate Souffl Day This Saturday
National Chocolate Souffl Day falls on February 28. Celebrate by enjoying the dessert at home or at Yellow Door Bistro.
Karine Moulin’s white chocolate and lemon souffl.
Photography courtesy of Hotel Arts
The day that dessert lovers spend all year waiting for is back. February 28 is National Chocolate Souffl Day. Celebrate the day in the best way possible: by eating this decadent dessert.
Chocolate souffl is a difficult dessert to make. It requires meticulous whipping, a perfectly preheated oven and carefully buttered ramekins. Even Karine Moulin, the pastry chef at Hotel Arts, had to perfect her souffl over time: the first time she made a souffl was in culinary school and it flopped right over the edge of the ramekin. She’s since learned some essential tips, like how important it is to let the eggs sit in a warm water bath to make separating the whites and yolks easier and to never open the oven early.
Karine Moulin shares the recipe she’ll be preparing for the Yellow Door Bistro on National Chocolate Souffl Day.
Karine Moulin’s white chocolate and lemon souffl recipe
Yield: 6 4oz ramekins
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 large organic egg yolks
10 large organic egg whites, room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 cup white chocolate shavings
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (plus the zest of 2 lemons)
1 vanilla bean cut in half, remove the seeds
1 cup whole milk
Method:
Brush melted butter inside each ramekin, and coat with sugar. Using your index finger, level off the top surface of the ramekin if there is any butter or sugar. The highest part of the ramekin should be free of any butter and sugar, as this will allow the souffl to rise upwards and achieve great heights.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius. Butter six 12-ounce souffl dishes, and then dust with granulated sugar. Whisk together yolks, flour, zest, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
2. Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Slowly pour milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent yolks from cooking. Return mixture to pan, and whisk until thick like a pudding, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through a sieve, and whisk in butter and lemon juice.
3. Beat whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula.
4. Fold in the white chocolate shavings and fill each souffl dish until it is 3/4 full, remove any excess batter from rims.
5. Bake on baking sheet about 16-18 minutes, or until souffls rise and are golden.
If you’re not confident in the kitchen
If you’re not ready to try mastering this dessert on your own, head to the Yellow Door Bistro in Hotel Arts for dessert (and dinner too) on Saturday, February 28. Just for National Chocolate Souffl Day, Moulin is putting the white chocolate and lemon souffl on the menu.
Yellow Door Bistro, 119 12 Ave. S.W., 403-206-9585, yellowdoorbistro.ca