Chocolate Souffles

So, if you read the post prior, you know that I have reopened my book, Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts. The chocolate biscotti is where I started and then moved on to souffles for Valentine's dinner. My parents and a "special friend" I'll call A. joined us for smoked ribs (Grandpa's request) with all the trimmings. And dessert had to be something chocolate, right? So the souffles were the logical choice because I have these adorable heart ramekins I HAD to use. The pictures stink. Sorry, but we had been cooking all day, had a little wine with dinner and when the souffles came out I was like...."Waaaaait! I need a picture." Six of them with spoons in hand, waiting for me, no pressure. See, this is real life here. We bake, we eat. So, my apologies.
Souffles
5 teaspoons (more or less as needed,for dusting the cups)
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder, (Pernigotti, of course!)
2 Tablespoons flour
½ cup lowfat milk
4 egg whites (I used 5)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla
2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray souffle cups with non-stick spray and coat with sugar. Tap out excess into next cup and so on.
Sift the powdered sugar, cocoa and flour into the top of a double boiler. Add the milk and ½ cup water, and whisk until smooth. Cook over gently simmering water, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
Bet the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the granulated sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form, do not over beat to the point of being dry.
Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites. Now, you can see the swirly variations of chocolate from my folding, right or wrong? Not sure, but they were delicious! Divide evenly among the cups. Souffles can be covered and chilled at this point to bake later, up to 1 day. Place souffles on baking sheet and bake uncovered for about 15-17 minutes, a little longer if they were chilled. Souffles should puff well above the rim of the cups and a toothpick inserted should come out with moist crumbs. Under baking makes it more pudding like, over baking makes it dry and icky.
To serve, dust a little powdered sugar, or just pass the whipped cream! A little fruit would be good too!
Note: The sugar coating on the ramekin is what allows the souffle to climb the sides and puff up. It gets wonderfully crunchy. The ramekins are 4-5 ounces and the recipe makes 8, mine made 9.
Recipe adapted from Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts by Alice Medrich

So the vedict was 7 thumbs up! It was warm and gooey and rich and delicious. For 127 calories and 2.6 grams of fat? Bring it on, why wait until Valentine's Day?! Get in there and bake!