Chocolate is Good

Super creative post title, huh? Oh well.....I've  never really been good at that.....

Anyway, I've had a pretty nice week so far, not a whole lot going on, but nice nonetheless. Yesterday was Valentine's day, so I made a really yummy chocolate dessert for the family....my first attempt at a chocolate souffle! It made four servings, so there weren't any leftovers, which was nice as well. I used this recipe, with just a couple of changes, so I'll post what I did here!
Individual Chocolate Souffle Cakes

(definitely not my picture)

Ingredients:

• 9 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 5 teaspoons flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa (ours is really rich, so I got away with using a little less than the recipe)
• 4 tablespoons milk (I didn't use skim.....we don't have it, and it really isn't my favorite to bake with)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 egg whites, room temperature 

Directions:

1. Grease four (6 ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, making sure to coat the sides of the ramekins well. 
2. In a small saucepan, combine the flour, 4 tablespoons of the sugar, cocoa and milk. Heat over medium for about 3 and a half minutes, or until smooth and thickened. Spoon into a medium sized bowl and let cool for about 6 minutes. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. 
3. In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon at a time (so about 12 teaspoons), beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in about 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate, gently fold in the rest of the whites until combined. Spoon chocolate/egg white mixture into the ramekins, tapping each to even out the souffle batter. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Do NOT open the oven door too much during baking, as the changes in temperature will cause the souffles to sink when they are removed from the oven. If you want, sprinkle some powdered sugar on each souffle. 

So there ya have it....a relatively easy chocolate souffle! This was soooo tasty, and I loved how the dessert was rich and chocolate-y, without feeling heavy or "too much". Not that I typically feel that chocolate is ever too much, but I really enjoyed the lightness of the souffle. Hard to believe that with such simple ingredients, you get a really nice dessert! Have you ever made a souffle? Was it sweet or savory If not, have you ever had a souffle and what is your favorite? 

So yesterday I pretty much stayed at home all day, which was nice. At one point it was just me and the cats in the apartment, so I had some "quiet time". I got a lot done and had some time to think. I also worked out at home because I just didn't really feel like going to the gym. My hip was actually hurting a bit, so I just did a yoga dvd. I was really proud of myself for being able to take an easy day plus eat a dessert without feeling too bad about it. Not gonna say that I felt completely okay, but I didn't feel terrible or guilty either. I really believe that I'm getting better at listening to my body, and yesterday my body wanted rest and chocolate! :D

What did you do for Valentine's Day?

Well, that's about it for now...see ya'll later!