Dark Chocolate Souffle - nonstick cooking spray

Method

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Spray a 6-cup souffle dish or straight-sided casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place finely chopped chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate on high in 25-second increments, stirring between each, until chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
• Allow melted chocolate to cool for 5 minutes. Gently whisk in granulated sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until fully incorporated.
• Place egg whites in a clean mixing bowl. With clean beaters, beat the whites on high speed for about 3 minutes, or until they hold soft peaks. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar. Continue beating for about 2 minutes longer, until the whites hold stiff peaks.
• Spoon a third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and gently stir to lighten it. Add remaining egg whites and fold them into the chocolate with a rubber spatula, using a light hand so as not to deflate the mixture. Stop folding as soon as no streaks of egg white remain (a few lumps are okay).
• Transfer batter to prepared dish, and place it on middle rack of oven.
• Bake souffle for 28-35 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes of baking.
• Test whether souffle is ready by gently shaking the dish. It should be mostly stable but wobble ever so slightly. When it is done, remove souffle from oven.
• Enjoy immediately. After 10 minutes the souffle will deflate!