Chocolate Souffle!

Melted chocolate
Liquid in the summer's heat
Want to lick the spoon!

• 3-1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 T. water
• 1-7/8 c. milk
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla (pure)
• 3 T. arrowroot
• 1 T. butter, cut in small pieces
• 1 T. butter, softened
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 4 egg whites
• 1 T. icing sugar

Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Scald milk. Spoon out about 3 T. of the milk, put in a cup to one side. Add the vanilla and sugar to the remaining milk in the saucepan and stir well with a wooden spoon. When the sugar is dissolved, add the melted chocolate and stir well. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add the arrowroot to the reserved 3 T. of milk and mix 'til smoothe paste. Add the dissolved arrowroot to the milk and chocolate mixture in the pan and stir well.

Replace the saucepan on moderate heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the boiling point is reached, remove the pan from the heat. Dot the surface of the mixture with the pieces of butter, cover the pan and leave to cool to room temperature.

While the chocolate mixture is cooling, prepare the souffle dish. Grease a medium sized dish with the softened butter. Tie a piece of grease-proof or waxed paper around the outside, projecting 2 inches above the rim of the dish.

Preheat the oven to fairly hot (about 375).

When the chocolate mixture has cooled, add the beaten egg yolks, a little at a time, and stir well to mix.

Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour all into the souffle dish and place in the centre of the oven.

Bake 30 minutes or until firm and risen :)

After 25 minutes, remove the souffle from the oven and quickly dust the top with the icing sugar. Slide the souffle back into the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve immediately!