Chocolate Souffles

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chopped

(or semisweet chocolate)

10 tablespoons unsalted butter - (1 ¼ sticks)

1 cup sugar

4 lrgs eggs

4 lrgs egg yolks

1 lrg pinch of salt

cup all-purpose flour

Preparation

Butter and flour ten 3/4-cup ramekins. Melt chocolate and butter in medium bowl set over pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from over water and cool chocolate mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer at high speed, beat sugar, eggs, yolks, and salt in large bowl until batter falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over mixture and fold in. Gradually fold in lukewarm chocolate mixture.

Divide mixture among prepared ramekins. (Can be prepared ahead. Cover souffles individually with plastic and refrigerate up to 1 day or freeze up to 1 week.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place ramekins on baking sheet; bake souffles until puffed and beginning to crack on top (centers will still be soft), about 18 minutes (19 minutes if frozen), and serve. These can be prepared ahead.

This recipe yields 10 souffles.

Comments: "I have been enjoying Aperto restaurant here in San Francisco ever since it opened eight years ago," writes Leslie Appleton, of San Francisco, California. "Everything prepared in that little kitchen is delicious and attractively presented. If you could obtain the recipe for the soft-centered chocolate souffles served there, you would make me very happy."