Baking Tip (15)

Let melted chocolate cool down to near room temperature before adding to cookie, cake or bar batters.  Piping hot chocolate may melt the fats or cook the eggs.

Chocolate in its solid form will stay fresher longer when stored in a cool, dry place.  Do not refrigerate.

Wise Investment

My husband has lots of insurance policies. Most are term insurance. This he tells me is much like saving in a bank. He gets all the premiums and then some at the end of every term. This way, he is covered and earns a little. He either renews it or buys a new one. The whole family has this. This way, money isn’t spent unwisely but is actually saved. I understand why he has so many policies. At the end of the day, we have money we can spend when we need to.

WW – More Sweets

Chocolate Soufflé

For this recipe you will need:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/16 teaspoon salt
• Butter
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 6 individual soufflé ramekins and sprinkle with sugar; set aside.

2.  Melt chocolate pieces in a metal bowl over barely simmering water, constantly stirring. (Even a small amount of overheated chocolate will ruin an entire recipe.) Once the chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from heat and stir in the egg yolks.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt on medium high speed until they hold soft glossy peaks. Continue beating egg whites on high speed, gradually adding the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, until the egg whites hold stiff glossy peaks.

4.  Gently stir 1/3 of the eggs whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. The chocolate mixture should be light and bubbly, and even colored, without egg white streaks.

5.  Spoon your soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins and allow to rest for up to 30 minutes or bake right away for 12 – 15 minutes (slightly longer at high altitudes) until risen with a crusty exterior. Serve with a dusting of cocoa or powdered sugar if desired.

Working Out

My son has been regularly working out. In his his teens now, he’s very conscious about how he looks. One of his favorite workouts is the pull up. He uses his Dad’s pull up bar every chance he gets. He’s not lifting weights yet but does crunches. He also runs and does brisk walking. He’s looking good and his baby fat is almost gone. My little boy is now growing up.