Soufflés have been around for a while ever since baking has been using flour, eggs, butter and milk. The term comes from the French word “souffler” which means to puff, referring to the important role played by the egg whites in giving the dessert its muffin top. These desserts are made in single-serve cups or ramekins and are airy and the technique is a little tricky to master. It needs just the right amount of baking time, the right balance of ingredients and the right amount of heat for the soufflés to rise. Add chocolate to the mix and you have the added challenge of making the batter light. So, where did this simple but a little tricky-to-master dessert come from?
It's of French origin and is thought to have originated in 1742 with the recipe titled omelette soufflée appearing in print in a cookbook written by Vincent La Chapelle, called Le Cuisinier Moderne. Back then it was a savoury dish calling for meat and lemon peel, definitely not chocolate. He cooked for Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV and was the personal chef of the then Duke of Orleans.
Fast forward to the late 1700, in 1783, another French chef called Antoine Beauvilliers Grande Taverne de Londres, the first Parisian high end restaurant. He had multiple offerings of soufflés in his menu and he's often considered the inventor of the soufflé.
In English, the word Soufflé didn't appear until 1813 when Louis Ude’s published The French Cook, in which he had six soufflé recipes as an entremet – bread, coffee, chocolate, potatoes with lemon, rice cream, orange flower. Three years later, Antoine Beauvilliers finally published his soufflé recipes in his cookbook L’art du Cuisinier. He mentioned that when the soufflé is well risen, if it resists a little when touched, it is perfectly done and needs to be served immediately, otherwise the airy top was prone to collapsing.
But chocolate was yet to make a grand debut in the dessert world, when it didn’t cost as hiccuping up a kidney. The first chocolate soufflé was born under the post-revolutionary Paris, greatest celebrity chef patissier, Marie-Antoine Carême, a few years later. He was the chef behind creating hundreds of soufflé recipes, including the soufflé Rothschild, and the beloved chocolate soufflé in his cookbook, Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien published in 1815.
By the 19th century migration saw an uptick and many cheds, bartenders and skilled culinary wizards packed their bags and crossed the pond in search of greener pastures. French specialty restaurants also started popping up in the US and soufflés surged in popularity from there, finding mention in films and literature and enjoying fame beyond its borders. So, why not try making your own batch of soufflés?
Ingredients
Instructions
8. Remove from heat and serve with chocolate sauce or powdered sugar on top.