I am no stranger to the French chocolate souffle; over the years I have tried over twenty recipes of this particular style of chocolate souffle.
But the Julia child chocolate souffle is one recipe that never fails to get my attention. I can remember my very first experience with it. It happened at a beach in California.
Prior to us going to the beach, one of my friends Greg mentioned that his wife had prepared something for us, and we would get to enjoy it at the beach. Beaming with expectations, we all arrived and spread our blankets out on the serene sand as the waters rushed intermittently at us. Shortly, Greg’s wife was seen walking towards us with a tray of round cakes.
She reached out to us and gave each of us one of our own. It tasted spectacular and somehow different. I knew it was a French chocolate souffle but there was something special about it. I was very anxious to find out what it was.
Greg’s wife immediately noticed my curiosity and seemed to anticipate my question. “What kind of souffle is this?” I asked, stunned and bewildered. I can still hear her response: “That, my friend, was the Julia Child chocolate souffle.”
I didn’t know what she was talking about at the time, but it was, in fact, the beginning of a long journey. I am now quite familiar with the Julia Child, and it is one of my favorite things to prepare. If you’re a fan of the French chocolate scuffle, then you simply have to know about the Julia Child chocolate souffle.
Sit back and relax as I explain to you how to prepare it; but first, let’s give a proper introduction to the French chocolate souffle.
The Delectable Julia Child Souffle
The Julia Child souffle is a most delectable souffle with a widely-followed recipe. Souffles with flavorings like fish, cheese, and chocolate taste really great with a touch of Julia Child.
I go crazy for the combination of chocolate and the airy quality of the souffle. I can’t help getting excited when cooking a chocolate souffle, so thrilled am I by the numerous air bubbles that puff up the souffle into an incredible mass.
Souffles might seem intimidating due to their delicateness and tendency to fall apart soon after they have been baked; the reason this happens, by the way, is that they lack the internal resistance to maintain their own weight after the heat of the oven has been put out.
Despite their fragility, Julia Child’s classic French cookbook titled Mastering the Art of French Cooking teaches that whether the souffles are fallen (creamy) or compact (solid), they still retain the amazing flavor they are known for. I wholeheartedly attest to this fact; I practiced by making her cheese souffle several weeks ago and it turned out great.
I was really amazed by the outcome. My confidence in making a spectacular Julia Child souffle was re-ignited. I proceeded to try out the chocolate souffle recipe of the angelic French culinary empress (Chef Julia Child) whose prowess precedes her. This time I made something close to a masterpiece.
Chocolate Souffle Julia Child recipe
Fellow chocolate lovers out there, I’ve got great news for you – the Julia Child chocolate souffle was created just for you and me. Trust me, you don’t want to have to be told every time how delicious this baked chocolatey egg-based wonder is.
And before you join that school of thought that states, ‘souffles are unbearably demanding and just too complicated’, know that this is nothing but a bold-faced lie. Frankly speaking, chocolate souffles are one of the easiest desserts you can ever make. I don’t mind saying it over and over again.
Chocolate souffle is really very simple to make. Kudos to Julia Child for making her chocolate souffle recipe so simple for chocoholics to do on their own. She has ensured that any chocolate lover can make the perfect chocolate souffle befitting them.
This Julia Child chocolate souffle recipe makes a wonderful dessert for your family and friends, especially if they are already seated at the table and your chocolate souffle is just about ready to leave the oven.
For this recipe, you will need the following Chocolate souffle ingredients.
Ingredients for the recipe
- 7 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate (chopped)
- ⅓ cup of strong coffee (I prefer one-third cup of boiling water mixed with one packet of Starbucks Via)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened (for buttering the souffle dish)
- ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of milk
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
- 6 egg whites (¾ cups of it)
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Whipped cream (vanilla ice cream) for serving
Necessary Equipment
You will need the following equipment:
A small saucepan with a lid, to be placed over a large pot of boiling water. A 2-by-2 half quart souffle dish or straight-sided baking dish with a diameter of between 7 and 8 inches.
A 2-quart saucepan (metal is preferred to ceramic or glass), Aluminum foil, safety pin or paper clip (MUST be metal, no plastic), whisk (a mixer with a coil of wires) and mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Instructions for preparation
Get all ingredients together and measure them out. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Put oven rack in the lower section of the oven.
Put the chocolate and coffee in the small pan placed over the pot of boiling water. Cover it and bring it down from the heat. This will enable the chocolate to melt while you continue with the recipe.
Coat the inside of the souffle dish with butter. Encircle with a collar of buttered aluminum foil. Fold a long piece of the aluminum foil in half length, butter one side and cover the upper perimeter of the souffle dish, making the collar around the souffle dish three inches tall with the butter side pointing inside. Secure the foil with the pin or paper clip.
Measure the flour into the two-quart saucepan. Begin to whisk in the milk very slowly to make a completely smooth cream. Keep on whisking until all milk is added. Add the butter and stir over medium heat until it starts to boil. Continue to stir as it keeps boiling for two minutes. Remove from heat and vigorously stir for another minute or two to cool a bit.
Whisk the egg yolks one by one into the hot milk sauce, next into the melted chocolate and then into the vanilla ice cream.
Beat the egg white and sauce in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Do this until soft peaks are formed. (Note: You must ensure that the egg whites are at room temperature before you beat them. This has to be done in order for them to mount into nice high peaks.) Slowly, sprinkle in the half-cup of sugar and beat until shinning hard peaks are formed.
Mildly blend the chocolate mixture into the egg white bowl. Pour out the souffle mixture into the prepared souffle dish and place on the rack in the lower section of the oven.
Turn down the temperature to 375°F. It is a beautiful sight, watching your souffle puff up over the top of your souffle dish. If you don’t want to use a larger souffle dish, you could also use smaller ramekins (small fireproof baking dishes).
Bake for thirty-five to forty minutes without opening the door of the oven. After thirty-five to forty minutes the top should have begun to crack. Promptly sprinkle powdered sugar on the surface and continue baking for five to ten minutes longer. From this point, observe closely for creaminess. Insert a skewer; if the skewer comes out slightly coated, then the souffle is still creamy at the center.
When the skewer comes out clean, then it means the souffle is fully done and ready to be served. Either creamy or clean is okay though; it’s all about your personal preference. I like mine when it’s not fully done. Note that upon taking the souffle out of the oven, it will be very tall but will subsequently shrink.
The Alternative but Tasteful French Chocolate Souffle
The French chocolate souffle is a souffle that typically involves using a thick white sauce mixed with chocolate flavorings, prepared the French way.
Emphasis has to be put on doing it the French way, as souffles traditionally come from France (dating back to the 18th century). Chefs of other nationalities have developed their own way of making souffles similar to the French way, but no matter how good the alternative, it can never match the original!
The chocolate souffle is simply a mousse that has been baked. French chocolate souffle has a texture that is different from all others. It is also very light and flossy. What I mean is it is slightly moist when compared to even the moistest cake crumb. Despite its flossy texture, it is not really as silky as a mousse.
The French chocolate souffle is exceptionally lovely. It might be difficult for you to withstand the urge to eat the chocolate souffle batter before baking. It really is that sumptuous.
Conclusion
The chocolate souffle Julia child is undeniably the most delicious French chocolate souffle there is. According to well-acclaimed chefs, “if you claim to have tried the chocolate souffle and not the Julia Child chocolate souffle, then you have merely tasted something else.”
Making Julia child’s souffle is so fun and so rewarding; I cannot recommend it highly enough. Give it a try today!
