In 1980 a story of chocolate espionage hit the world press when an apprentice of the
Swiss company of Suchard-Tobler unsuccessfully attempted to sell secret chocolate recipes
to Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.
This dessert can be made ahead and refrigerated, then reheated at serving time until
lukewarm in a regular oven, a microwave oven, or on top of the stove in a skillet, with
the molds surrounded by water.
Chocolate Sauce 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon reserved (see below)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in the reserved 1 tablespoon of milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon bourbon or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Soufflés 1/2 cup milk
3 thin slices bread (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs, separated
1-1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter (for buttering the molds)
4 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
For the chocolate sauce: Place the cup of milk and the sugar in a saucepan, and bring
the mixture to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the
dissolved cornstarch. Add the chocolate pieces, and stir the mixture occasionally until
the chocolate is dissolved. Cool to room temperature, and stir in the bourbon or vanilla.
(If making the sauce ahead, refrigerate it, covered, and reheat to room temperature in a
microwave oven at serving time).
For the soufflés: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl, add the bread pieces, and let the bread soak in the
milk until it is well saturated, soft, and mushy. Add the raisins, maple syrup, and egg
yolks, and stir until the mixture is well homogenized but the bread pieces are still
visible.
Beat the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks. (They should not be too firm.)
Mix the whites into the bread mixture.
Butter 4 individual 1-cup molds. Place 1 tablespoon of the jam in the bottom of each
mold, and divide the bread mixture among the molds. Arrange the molds on a tray, and cook
them in the 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, until they are set but not completely
firm. Remove from the molds and serve lukewarm with the chocolate sauce.
Total time: about 45 minutes Yield: 4 servings Nutrition per serving: 392 calories, 10g protein, 15g fat, 8g saturated
fat, 123 mg cholesterol, 202 mg sodium, 57g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber Copyright: Jacques Pepin's Kitchen - buy the book
