GODIVA CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE SOUFFLE CAKES

• • Yield: 8 servings
• • Difficulty: **Intermediate
• • Preparation: 1 1/4 hours plus freezing and baking times

Chocolate Truffles:

3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, broken up
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon coffee beans, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, crushed (optional)
Pinch of cayenne red pepper
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons Cognac

Vanilla Ice Cream Truffles:

Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Soufflé Cakes:

3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Make the chocolate truffles:

1. Place chocolate in a small metal bowl. Combine cream, corn syrup, coffee, cinnamon, anise, cayenne and salt in small saucepan. Heat until it comes to gentle boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let the mixture infuse for 10 minutes.
2. Return cream mixture back to a gentle boil. Pour through a fine-meshed sieve into chocolate. Using rubber spatula, press down on coffee grounds to release every drop of hot cream. Discard coffee grounds. Let mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth. Whisk in Cognac. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze for about 2 hours or until firm.
3. Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Sift a light dusting of cocoa over the waxed paper.
4. Using a melon baller, form 8 irregular-shaped 1 1/2-inch balls. Drop truffles onto the prepared baking beet. (If necessary, dust your hands with some of the cocoa powder to prevent the truffle mixture from sticking to your fingers). Cover baking sheet of truffles with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm. Keep the truffles frozen until ready to bake the chocolate soufflé cakes.

Make the vanilla ice cream truffles:

Lightly sift cocoa powder over the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans.
Using a melon baller, quickly form 1-inch irregular-shaped balls of vanilla ice cream and drop them into the prepared cake pans. (Twenty to a pan). When you have filled one cake pan with truffles, cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze immediately. Keep the truffles frozen until ready to serve baked soufflé cakes.

Make the soufflé cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of eight 6-ounce Pyrex glass custard cups and place on a baking sheet.
2. Place chocolate and water in microwave-safe cup. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth and let cool.
8. 3. Sift together flour and salt. Beat butter in mixing bowl until creamy, using electric mixer at medium speed. While continuing to beat, gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
4. Beat egg whites with the cream of tartar in another bowl until frothy, using low speed of electric mixer. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks start to form. One teaspoon at a time, add remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form.
5. Fold one-third of the whites along with one-third of the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. One-third at a time, gently fold in the remaining whites and the flour. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared cups, filling each custard cup a lit-tle more than half full.
6. Nestle a frozen chocolate truffle in the center of each. Spoon remaining batter over the tops of the frozen truffles, covering them completely. (At this point the filled cups may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before baking.)
7. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until the batter has risen slightly above the rims of the cups and the tops are slightly browned and cracked.
One at a time, gently invert the warm cakes onto large dessert plates. Arrange 5 frozen vanilla ice cream truffles around each cake. Lightly dust the cakes, truffles and plates with cocoa powder. Serve immediately.

Make the milk chocolate sauce:

Place the chopped milk chocolate in a small mixing bowl. Bring the water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan and pour over the milk chocolate. Allow to stand for a few minutes to completely melt the chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Assembly:

With a long knife dipped in hot water, cut the cheesecake into 12 slices. Place a slice of cheesecake on the plate; place a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop it. Drizzle ice cream and cheesecake with the sauces.