Finally, A Successful Bake

I went on a baking binge this weekend. I made 2 batches of macarons (unsuccessfully), laid the ground work for ginger brulee tartlets and whipped up 2 souffles in 30 minutes. On top of that, I spent almost every waking moment thinking of what to bake next and how to style the finished product for documentation on The Rolling Pin. I think the baking bug has really caught on.

This week is going to be a busy week. My cousin, KJ, was in town for the weekend, so we hung out over a couple of meals. Another cousin will be here for work on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, I have my parents visiting. The great thing about living in Hong Kong is its close proximity to Singapore. We've been here for only half a year, but have had more than 15 mutually exclusive sets of friends from back home come visit already. 

It so happened that today was a cold and rainy day, so I thought my warm cuppa milk would be best accompanied by a warm delectable dessert. I must confess that due to the macaron mishaps yesterday and the day before, I was in no mood for another misadventure, so I wanted to do something relatively safe and quick. I was in the need for instant (well, almost) gratification. 

The thing about souffles is that they are pretty difficult to photograph. They often fall almost as quickly as they rise. They are whimsical and play tricks whenever they please. I can understand why some people find baking souffles nerve wrecking. Thankfully, these fellas behaved themselves today and gave me something to blog about. 

Bittersweet Chocolate Molten Souffle

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 4

1/3 cup caster sugar, plus more for dusting ramekins

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

140g bittersweet chocolate, melted (70% cocoa for dark chocolate lovers, 55% cocoa for those who don't quite like dark chocolate)

2/3 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream

Pinch of salt

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins. Dust with granulated sugar, and refrigerate, uncovered.

Whisk whites with a mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup caster sugar and whisk until medium peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Whisk milk into cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring until thick, for about 1-2 minutes. Set melted chocolate in a bowl. Whisk cooked milk mixture into the melted chocolate. Whisk in yolks and yogurt. Gently fold in egg whites.

Fill ramekins evenly with batter. Bake on baking sheet, rotating halfway through, until souffles rise but centers are still liquid, about 14 minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately. When batter is mixed, do not refrigerate for long before baking because batter will not rise nicely.