Curtis Stone’s chocolate mousse souffles with peppermint ganache and whipped creme fraiche

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Ingredients

For the soufflés:
15 g unsalted butter, softened
105 g caster sugar
115 g good-quality dark chocolate (65–70%), chopped
2 T cocoa
6 medium free-range egg whites
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
For the peppermint ganache and whipped crème fraîche:
1 1⁄4 cups cream
115 g good-quality dark chocolate (65–70%), chopped
1⁄4 t pure peppermint extract
4 T crème fraîche, stirred to blend

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175°c.

Coat the interiors of 6 x 225 ml soufflé dishes completely with the butter, then coat with 45 g caster sugar. Place the dishes on a heavy baking tray.

Set a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in the cocoa and 1⁄2 cup cold water until smooth. remove from the heat and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. gradually whisk in the remaining caster sugar. continue whisking until the egg whites are glossy and form soft peaks when the whisk is removed.

Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the warm chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites (the mixture will resemble chocolate mousse). immediately divide the soufflé mixture equally among the prepared soufflé dishes. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the ganache and whipped crème fraîche.

To make the ganache, heat 3⁄4 cup cream in a small, heavy saucepan over medium- high heat just until hot. remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and cover. Set aside for 5 minutes, then add the peppermint extract and whisk just until blended.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining cream in a large bowl until thick and fluffy. fold in the crème fraîche.

Bake the soufflés for about 10 minutes until they rise but are still moist and creamy in the centre. Dust the soufflés with icing sugar and serve with the ganache and crème fraîche so your guests can spoon as much over their dessert as they please.

Chef's note: “after making many different soufflés, this gem won me over with its warm chocolate mousse-like texture and impressive rising power. Who could resist its fluffy yet creamy texture and deep chocolatey goodness? not me! i love the refreshing flavour of mint – it’s one of my go-to ingredients in sweet and savoury dishes. here, it works like a dream in this classic pairing with chocolate. and this soufflé just happens to be gluten-free, something i never set out to achieve when i created it many moons ago, but which has become an added bonus today.”

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