One store not to be missed is the Scharffen Berger chocolate outlet. Imagine a place filled to the rafters with some of the finest chocolate, locally made with a great deal of pride. I bought a box of bittersweet, 70 per cent cocoa with the intention of making the perfect soufflé. I started with the recipe on the company web site but it needed some tweaking so I added extra butter, vanilla and Grand Marnier.

This recipe is not at all difficult to make, but that old adage that your guests must wait for the soufflé because the soufflé will not wait for them is true. They quickly deflate. This recipe must be baked in a true straight-sided soufflé dish for the dessert to rise properly. I tested putting a collar of buttered aluminum foil around some of the dishes, but this was an unnecessary chore.

For a dinner party, the cups can be filled and allowed to set on the kitchen counter for up to 90 minutes and they will still fully rise when baked. The perfectly baked soufflé is still slightly moist in the middle so I wouldn’t serve it to anyone pregnant or with a compromised immune system.

Sue Kleber

Sweetened and flavored whipped cream Fresh berries and/or fresh mint Powdered sugar in a sieve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and adjust shelves to slightly below the middle setting. Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in the bowl of a mixer and whip until frothy. Slowly drizzle in the granulated sugar and whip until the whites form stiff but not dry peaks. Set aside.

Place the chocolate, milk and butter into the top of a double boiler. Set the double boiler over barely simmering water and stir until the ingredients melt. Remove the boiler top from the lower pan. Whisk the egg yolks together in a small bowl and drizzle the yolk mixture into the chocolate, stirring continuously. Don’t panic if the chocolate mixture seizes or becomes grainy.

Add the vanilla and the Grand Marnier and stir until smooth and glossy again. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add one quarter of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and whisk together to lighten. Add the rest of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate and gently fold until blended.

Fill the soufflé cups to the brim with the chocolate mixture. (I like an ice cream scoop for this job) Run your thumb around the circumference of the soufflé cup, making a quarter inch indent all around the cup. Completely clean the rims of any batter and place the cups on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 13 minutes. The center should be still slightly moist when the soufflé is done.

While the soufflés bake, put a dollop of whipped cream on the side of each serving plate and garnish with fresh berries. When the soufflés are done, dust them with powdered sugar and put them on the dressed serving plates.

What a way to start the new year!