Soft in the middle

Some days start with a certain emotional inertia. The milk has gone bad in the refrigerator, the dryer has eaten another sock (where do they all go?), and coworkers have arrived on the job with surly attitudes. These days have a sluggishness that is hard to overcome.

On a Wednesday that has an unusual heft, it seems imprudent to attempt a recipe that requires so much airiness. My first thought is to make meringue—something in me longing for the lively, light crunch of the cookie—but remembering the long baking time of the pavlova, I decide that the day is in need of instant gratification. I settle on a soufflé instead.

I am notoriously an improviser in the kitchen, substituting ingredients without discretion or neglecting the quantities specified by the recipe, instead dipping my finger into the dish to determine taste. Baking with egg whites requires strict technique and a bit of confidence too. There's no taste testing or ingredient swapping allowed. If you want the results, you simply must follow the recipe.

We often ascribe an architecture to egg whites. Whip them into “stiff peaks” the recipe instructs. Beating egg whites creates tiny pockets of air inside the viscous protein. The fat content of the egg yolk, even a droplet, collapses the pockets. I’ve heard those tiny bits of wayward yolk referred to as “goldfish.” This makes me laugh—such an innocuous term for something that will so certainly ruin the recipe.

I separate the eggs carefully, extracting the whites with my fingers and gently sliding the yolks between the two halves of the eggshell. I don’t have an electric mixer so I whip the whites with a whisk and pluck. When the peaks materialize, I don’t second-guess myself but swiftly fold the whites around the melted chocolate and slip the mixture into the ramekins. The results are soufflés that are deeply chocolaty, soft, and tall—a sweet structure for an otherwise soggy afternoon.

Individual chocolate soufflés

Makes 4 soufflés in 8 ounce ramekins

Adapted from Elizabeth Bard’s recipe for chocolate soufflé cake in Lunch in Paris.

Butter (for the ramekins)

7 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)

2 tablespoons coffee, strongly brewed

5 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

Salt to taste

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees and butter the inside of the ramekins using vertical strokes. This will help the soufflé rise into a tall, airy cake.

2. Melt the chocolate with the coffee in a double boiler and let cool to room temperature.

3. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth and light lemon in color and then mix in the chocolate. The mixture will be quite thick.

4. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they lose their sheen and hold a stiff peak.

5. Gently fold a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture with a spatula, and then fold all of the chocolate mixture into the bowl of egg whites until just combined.

6. Divide the mixture into the ramekins and bake for 14 minutes. The cakes are done when almost set on top (and still delightfully molten in the middle). Garnish with course salt and cinnamon for a spiced, sweet treat.