Low-fat hot chocolate and cherry soufflés recipe

By Kate Belcher

A light chocolate souffle with red cherries that makes a memorable dessert.

425g can pitted cherries in syrup
Vegetable oil, for greasing
60g golden caster sugar
1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
4 large egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
25g good-quality dark chocolate (Lindt 85% cocoa solids or Green & Black’s 70% cocoa solids),
roughly chopped
Icing sugar, to dust

1. Drain the cherries through a sieve resting over a small saucepan.
2. Lightly grease 6 x 150ml ramekins or ovenproof cups with the oil, then divide half the cherries between them. Return the remaining cherries to the saucepan with the syrup.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/ fan160C/gas 4. Sift 40g of the sugar together with the cocoa into a bowl, set aside. Put the kettle on to boil.
4. Put the egg whites into a large bowl with the cream of tartar and whisk with an electric hand whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually whisk in the remaining 20g of sugar, until stiff and glossy. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sugar and cocoa mixture and the chopped chocolate – don’t over-fold or you’ll knock out the air that helps the soufflés rise. Divide among the ramekins or cups, run the tip of your thumb around the top edge of each, to ensure they rise evenly. Sit the ramekins or cups in a roasting tin. Fill the tin with enough boiling water from the kettle to come halfway up the ramekins or cups.
5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until risen and set around the edges, but a little wobbly in the centre – don’t open the oven during cooking otherwise they will sink!
6. While the soufflés are cooking, put the pan of cherries over a low heat to warm through. Dust the soufflés with a little icing sugar and serve immediately with spoonfuls of the warm cherries on the side.