Sasha's Kitchen: Hazelnut Souffle

CSN Stores is a great place to pick up anything you need for your kitchen, and just about anything else from a swing set to new souffle dishes! I just got invited to do another product review from CSN stores, and I was thinking of reviewing some new souffle dishes to make some of my favorite desserts. I can't wait!

I haven't made any souffles recently, though I have shared several in the past on A Kitchen In Brooklyn, and they are one of my favorite desserts to make and eat.  Not too long ago, my husband went to Capsouto Freres for dinner, home of the best souffle in Manhattan. The restaurant is a bit out of the way to get to (you basically have to hike on the west side of Tribeca right near the entrance of the Holland Tunnel), but it is totally worth it. The French food is great at this old New York mainstay, and the portion sizes are nice and large as well. But the souffles are the real treat. In fact, at lunchtime, they even have a souffle bar which includes savory souffles! When we were there for dinner there were four choices on the menu - chocolate, hazelnut, raspberry and a seasonal special - clementine.  I couldn't resist trying the clementine, which was delicate and amazing, while Brad had the hazelnut. The hazelnut souffle there was made with real hazelnuts and was delicious (I got a taste), but I remembered I had some of the creamy and delicious Hazelnut Spread that ShopRite had sent me, so I figured I would put it to use in a creative way, to make my own hazelnut souffle. It worked out nicely, and now I am back on a souffle kick, so I plan to make some more souffles in the coming week.

Sasha's Hazelnut Souffle
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/3 of a cup creamy hazelnut spread (use ShopRite's or Nutella)
pinch of salt
3 T flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for bottoms of souffle dishes

Spray the bottoms of four souffle dishes with Pam and sprinkle each with granulated sugar. Preheat the oven to 375. It must have reached that temperature before you put the souffles in the oven! This is key.

Combine the heavy cream, egg yolks, flour, salt, sugar, vanilla and hazelnut spread in a bowl. Set the egg whites aside.

In the basin of your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed for several minutes until the egg whites are big and fluffy, almost like a meringue.  Once they are super fluffy and have reached this point, gently fold them into the hazelnut mixture, using a spatula.

Fill the four ramekins to the top using this mixture and place them on a baking sheet in the oven. Turn the oven light on so you can watch them bake. It is important not to open and close the oven at all before you are ready to take them out. They should be done when the rise up nice and large, which takes about 15-20 minutes (in my case it took closer to 20 minutes).

These were absolutely delicious and filled with wonderful hazelnut goodness! Perfect for Valentine's Day!