Given how well cinnamon and chocolate go together, I decided to include cinnamon hearts in this recipe, a favorite treat at this time of year.
To replicate the flavor of a spicy cinnamon heart in this chocolate soufflé, I've added espelette powder and ground cassia buds.
Cassia buds resemble dried cloves and are the unripe flowers of the cassia (cinnamon) tree. When ground into a powder with a mortar and pestle they have a fragrant cinnamon aroma.
The exquisite flavor of chocolate and cinnamon is enhanced by lightly dusting the tops of the baked soufflé with ground cinnamon hearts. Happy cooking!
Chef notes:
There are many exceptional flavor pairings for chocolate. If you prefer, try using amchur powder (mango powder) instead of cassia and cinnamon hearts, to create a more fruity chocolate soufflé.
Specialty equipment:
Mortar and pestle
Stand Mixer
Soufflé dishes or ramekins
Yield: 4–6 soufflé
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20 minutes
Pastry Cream
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp cassia buds, ground into a powder
¼ tsp espelette powder
Chocolate Soufflé
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
10 oz pastry cream
1 cup cocoa powder
8½ oz 70% chocolate, chopped
10 egg whites
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup cinnamon heart candies, ground into a powder
For the pastry cream
Heat the milk with ⅔ of the sugar in a saucepot on medium heat. Turn the heat off before it reaches a boil.
Whisk the egg yolks and other ⅓ sugar in a mixing bowl until it reaches the ribbon stage, thick and creamy.
Sift the flour into the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Add the ground cassia and espelette to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Slowly pour in the hot milk while whisking to temper the egg yolk mix but be careful not to scramble to eggs.
Pour the mix back into the pot on high heat and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
When the mix starts to become thick, turn the heat off, pour it into a bowl, and wrap it, letting the mix cool slightly while preparing the soufflé.
For the soufflé
Preheat an oven to 390°F.
Grease the inside of the soufflé dishes with the butter then coat them with sugar. Set aside.
Place 10 oz of hot pastry cream into a mixing bowl.
Add the chocolate on top of the hot pastry cream and the cocoa powder on top of that.
Whisk in the chocolate until it is completely melted and incorporated.
Add the egg whites and sugar to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Beat on high until stiff peaks form.
Turn off the mixer and fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix half at a time until it is completely incorporated.
Fill the soufflé dishes to the top and bake in the oven for 15–18 minutes. The soufflé will have risen tall and be slightly soft on the inside.
Remove from the oven and dust the tops with the powdered cinnamon hearts. Enjoy!
©chefalisonbiebs