Dessert
Le Jeune Chef Chocolate Soup

This recipe was featured on "You're the Chef" episode #311. Buy this episode from WVIA.

Yield: about eight dessert portions

Ingredients:

Step 1 - Soup
1 pt.	heavy cream
3/4 c.	granulated sugar
6 oz.	real bittersweet chocolate chips, room temperature
1/2 c.	Frangelica or hazelnut liqueur
Step 2 - Custard
3 each	eggs
1/2 c.	milk
1/4 c.	heavy cream
1/4 c.	sugar
1/8 c.	coffee-flavored liqueur
Step 3 - Cookie
1/2 c.	milk
1/4 c.	butter
3/4 c.	flour
1/4 c.	cocoa powder
4 each	eggs (varies)
Step 4 - Garnish & Service
1 c.	heavy cream, whipped for garnish
as needed	cocoa powder
as needed	chopped toasted nuts
as needed	fresh berries

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Step 1 - Soup procedure:
Bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chips dissolve completely. Stir in the liqueur. Cover and chill.

Step 2 - Custard procedure:
Combine all the ingredients and pour through a sieve. Spray oven-proof baking dishes with no-stick spray and fill them 2/3 full with the flan mixture. Place the filled cups into a baking pan and place them in a 300°F oven on a middle rack. Fill the baking pan half full of water. Bake the custards for 1 hour, or until custard is very firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean. Chill in the cups, then cover and hold for service.

Step 3 - Cookie procedure:
Bring the milk and butter to a boil in a 1 qt. sauce pot. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cocoa over the heat and continue stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot. Put the dough mixture into an electric mixer and mix for 1 minute to cool the dough. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to completely incorporate them after each egg. The dough should become elastic and soft but still hold its shape when not mixing. Place some of the dough into a pastry bag with a small tip and pipe small trellis designs on a no-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, until the trellis is crisp and browned. Cool at room temperature and store in a covered container in a cool dry place until used.

Step 4 - Garnish & Service procedure:
Unmold the custard by scoring around the outside of the baking dish and inverting into the serving bowl. Ladle a portion of the soup around the custard. Top with some whipped cream, dust with cocoa powder, insert one of the trellis “cookies” into the center of the custard, and add additional chopped toasted nuts and fresh berries as desired.