Cooking School

Round 2 of cooking school.... ready.... GO!

So, this weekend I am venturing to Northern VA yet again to teach a friend to cook. Exciting! This time, I think I shall focus on the timing aspects of cooking, as they really are the most difficult and make the biggest difference between mediocre cooking and good cooking. Learning to juggle skillets and saucepans, to watch the pasta, stir the onions and saute the chicken at once, takes practice and skill, but it really pays off when you're not chewing lukewarm pasta in a cold sauce because you had to wait for the chicken to finish cooking.

This time, though, Jackie and I are going to finish class by showing off. When we were enjoying our heyday as Divine Goddesses of the Culinary Pantheon (my, we're modest), we made these faaaaaaaaaaabulous chocolate espresso souffles. They are a pain and a half to make, but they are completely and utterly delicious and worthy of Culinary Goddesses.

Chocolate Espresso Soufflés

2 tablespoons unsalted butter for greasing
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons hazelnut flavored liqueurPinch salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Espresso cream topping

1 cup heavy cream
1 tbs. vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brewed espresso coffee
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and remove the top oven rack.

Prepare 6 (8-ounce) coffee cups or ramekins with straight sides (or a 2-quart soufflé dish) by greasing with butter and coating with granulated sugar, pour out any excess. The butter and sugar will keep the soufflés from sticking to the sides, which will allow them to rise evenly. The sugar will also give the soufflé a crunchy crust, which is a great contrast to the soft interior.

To make the pastry cream base for the soufflé:

Combine the milk and vanilla bean and seeds in a heavy large pot and place over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a brief simmer, until bubbles form around the edge of the pot; do not boil. Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean. The vanilla bean can be rinsed and dried and kept for another use.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour, and 1/4 cup of sugar until slightly thickened and lemon-colored. Temper the yolks by gradually whisking in about half of the hot milk mixture (do not add too quickly or the eggs will cook.) Return the pastry cream back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it is nice and thick, enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Slowly melt the chocolate with the Frangelico in a double boiler over hot water or in a microwave set on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through the heating time to smooth it out. Stir the melted chocolate mixture into the pastry cream; cool to room temperature.

In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites and salt just until they hold soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the chocolate pastry cream to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest. Spoon the batter into the prepared coffee cups, 2/3 of the way full, and shake them gently to smooth out the top. Place the coffee cups on a cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack for about 20 minutes. The soufflé is done when it has puffed over the rim, the outside is golden and the center is still a bit loose and creamy; take care not to over bake.

For the cream topping, Pour the heavy cream and vanilla bean and seeds into a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a brief simmer, until bubbles form around the edge of the pot; do not boil. Remove from heat. Discard the vanilla bean. The vanilla bean can be rinsed and dried and kept for another use.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, coffee, and espresso powder, until well blended. Temper the yolks by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture (do not add too quickly or the eggs will cook.) Return the custard back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, have each guest crack open the top of the soufflé with a spoon and pour in the Espresso Crème. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar.