Kusina Maria

On the very first day of culinary school, the very first thing I made was a Mocha Souffle. And it was a nerve-wracking but very fulfilling task. I enjoyed it because I love mocha. And so did my groupmates.

One of my aunts, Tita Teri, an experienced baker, requested that we bake souffle. She already knows how to bake a lot of pastries but has never tried baking souffle. And it was the very first thing she asked from me after I finished culinary school… baking souffle. Tita asked that we baked chocolate souffle, which I didn’t bake in school but had baked for Kuya Andrew during one of our kitchen testing sessions. So I wasn’t very intimidated when Tita Teri asked for it.

According to Beck, Berthole, and Child (1964), in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (p. 157), a souffle is

“a sauce containing a flavoring or puree into which stiffly beaten egg whites are incorporated. It is turned into a mold and baked in the oven until it puffs up and the top browns.”

Souffles are made with two parts, the base and the beaten egg whites. The base gives the flavor of the pastry while the eggs give the volume and texture.

One thing I learned in school was that souffles aren’t just sweet. One of my favorite pastries that we made was the Chorizo Souffle. And the Cheese Souffle was also wonderfully light and tasty. But for this session, we settled for Chocolate Souffle which made my aunts and my cousins very excited. Also joining us for the baking session are my aunts Ninang Ivy and Mam Bebs, and my cousin Dr. Joanna Abella who baked for the very first time.

When making a souffle, it is imperative that the base is made first and cooled before it is folded with the beaten egg whites. For the chocolate souffle, the base was made of three kinds of chocolate: Bittersweet, Semi-sweet, and Cocoa Powder. This combination is perfect who loves bitter or dark chocolates. It can be adjusted for those who loves sweet or milk chocolates.

The base also contained some butter, flour, and egg yolks which were blended well until it had a smooth and shiny finish. After the base was prepared, we transferred it to a bigger mixing bowl and let it cool.

We beat the eggs until it had soft peaks. For it to beat and increase in volume, the egg whites must not be contaminated and the bowl and mixer must be clean and dry. We added sugar to the egg whites while it was being beaten. After we had achieved the desired peak and volume, we folded it into the base. And poured it into greased and sugared custard cups, instead of ramekins.

Beck, Berthole, and Child (p. 162) suggest that souffle be baked in the middle rack of an oven that is pre-heated to 400 degrees. After putting in the souffle, the baker must immediately reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. I didn’t know this and we followed the recipe which required the oven to be pre-heated to 350 degrees.

The high baking temperature ensures that the air in the souffle will cause it to puff up and attain its desired height. Souffle will bake in about 20 to 30 minutes. It will maintain its desired height or puff for only a short while. Thus, it should be served immediately.

While the top will sink, most definitely, minutes after being taken out of the oven, the souffle’s taste and texture will most likely not be compromised. Different souffles will have different puffs or heights depending on its base and how well the eggs were beaten and folded.

Most of the taste testers loved the chocolate souffle. Save for Ninang Ivy who wanted something sweeter. But it was definitely something my chocolate lover cousins loved. And a worthy baking lesson for Doc Joanna.

Photo of Chocolate Souffle by Kuya Andrew of Davao Photo.

Tagged with: chocolate • pastries • souffle