Double Chocolate Soufflés

Note from Cheri: The recipe, text and photo below are reprinted with permission from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz (2004, Ten Speed Press). This book is as much a guide to chocolate (buying storing, using, history and much more), as it is a cookbook of fabulous chocolate creations. Click here to learn more about this must-have book for chocolate lovers and for another sample recipe, as well as author David Lebovitz's Tips for Chocolate Buyers.

I truly believe that I began my baking career the very same evening my parents decided that I was old enough to stay home alone without a babysitter. It was the era of TV dinners, so I was occasionally left with a rock-hard frozen aluminum rectangle for dinner. One night, unsatisfied with the tiny square of dessert offered, I opened my mother's favorite cookbook, and lo and behold, I discovered a recipe for an exotic-sounding chocolate Soufflé. All the ingredients were in the house, and with a Pyrex measuring cup as a soufflé dish, my career was born. Serve the soufflés immediately with a drizzle of crème anglaise or a dollop of whipped cream.

5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup milk 6 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons whiskey OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large egg yolks 4 large egg whites 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, very coarsely chopped OR 1/3 cup chocolate chips For Garnish: whipped cream OR créme anglaise

Make 6 Individual Soufflés Butter six 4 oz. ramekins or 6 oz. custard cups. Place them on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the milk. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the whiskey and the egg yolks. Let stand at room temperature. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until they are foamy and begin to hold their shape when the whisk is lifted. Gradually whip in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, whipping until the whites hold soft, droopy peaks. Fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fill the ramekins or custard cups 1/2 full with the soufflé mixture. Sprinkle in the pieces of chopped chocolate. Add the remaining batter, filling the souffle dishes almost to the top. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the soufflés are firm, yet jiggly when nudged. They should be very soft when you remove them from the oven. Serve immediately. Custard cups can be filled with the souffle batter a few hours in advance and left at room temperature until ready to bake. Bake right before serving. Click here for the FabulousFoods.com Chocolate Tutorial.