America’s Test Kitchen

I love entertaining, and over the past fifteen years, I’ve cooked countless dinner parties for staff, book club members, the Riverside Resistance Revival Chorus, fundraisers, Indivisible Riverside, birthdays, weddings, and baby showers.  

I learned that if I wanted to socialize and enjoy the party, it was important to plan a menu with dishes that could be made ahead. Otherwise, I would be stuck in the kitchen. A good rule is to make as much of the meal ahead of time as possible to minimize stress and maximize everyone’s enjoyment. These Make Ahead Chocolate Soufflés ensure you are able to relax and mingle with your friends instead of being stuck in the kitchen making a last-minute dessert.  

Made with dark chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder, this dessert does not disappoint. The best part is that if you are having a dinner party, you can make them a day or a week in advance and just bake them while you are clearing away the dishes. Perfect timing, you have dessert!

Ingredients

• 5 T Unsalted butter (1 tablespoon softened, remaining butter cut into 1/4-inch chunks)
• ⅓ C Sugar, plus one tablespoon for coating the dishes
• 8 oz. Bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped coarse
• ⅛ t Salt
• ½ t Vanilla extract
• 1 T Orange liqueur
• 6 Large egg yolks
• 8 Large egg whites
• ¼ t Cream of tartar
• 2 T Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

• Coat eight one-cup ramekins with one tablespoon butter, then coat the inside of the dish evenly with the one tablespoon sugar; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt chocolate and remaining butter in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Turn off the heat, stir in salt, vanilla, and liqueur; set aside.
• Bring sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then simmer until the sugar dissolves. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg yolks; beat until the mixture triples in volume, about three minutes. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Clean and dry beaters.
• Beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks; add confectioners’ sugar; continue beating to stiff peaks.
• Vigorously stir one-quarter of whipped whites into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining whites into mixture until just incorporated. Fill each ramekin almost to the rim, wiping excess filling from the rim with a wet paper towel. Cover and freeze until firm, at least three hours.
• Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until fully risen, about 16 to 18 minutes. (Soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen. Use two large spoons to pull open the top and peek inside. If not yet done, place back in oven.) Serve immediately.