As I went to sleep last night the wind was howling around the house and I thought to myself 'Baking....yes baking tomorrow if the storm continues' And so it did! Over coffee I gazed at the array of cook books on my mothers welsh dresser and my hand was drawn to the infamous Silver Spoon -the bastion of Italian cooking. Then I suddenly remembered that I had promised myself (a few months ago) that I would learn how to make soufflé. It is seen as a test of culinary skill and would provide me with an escape from the grey, windy, wet Winter day. Any excuse to turn on the oven in this kind of tempestuous weather!

Serves 6

Turn on oven 200C/Gas6
Grease a soufflé dish with butter and dust with vanilla sugar (I just used brown) or 6 ramekins
Break up 80g dark chocolate into bowl, over a bain marie, with 175 mls milk -stir until melted, whisk if you need to get it to come together and be smooth.
Put 35g sifted plain flour into a saucepan add 125mls milk -mix with a whisk ensuring no lumps
Stir in 50g caster sugar
To the flour mixture add the chocolate milk mixture, bring to the boil, stirring all the time for 2/3 mins -be really careful here as the flour is cooking rapidly so you need to be vigilant in keeping it off the base -I had to use a whisk for most of this part!
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly
Add 15g unsalted butter
One at a time add 3 egg yolks
Pour the mixture out of the saucepan into a bowl
Whisk 1 egg white until stiff in a seperate grease free bowl
Gently fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture, working very slowly and gently from the bottom to the top, to avoid knocking out the air

Spoon the mixture into the soufflé dish (not more than 2/3 full) and bake for approx. 30 mins until risen and set - do not open the oven door.Or if using individual ramekins instead cook for 10 mins.
Serve immediately -consider jogging the next day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuXdhow3uqQ Flight of the Conchords - Foux Du FaFa -Trés Funny!!