A few weeks ago, I got a nice little package in the mail to try some lovely treats. Godiva Coffee and Ghirardelli Chocolates. What did I do to deserve this? Being a Foodbuzz Tastemaker awards me these privileges. The coffee, you will hear about next week, but for now, what about that chocolate?

I received 3 kinds: Sea Salt Soiree, Twilight Delight, and Midnight Reverie. They even sound fabulous. These flavors are all a part of Ghirardelli’s “Intense Dark” line of flavors. I immediately tried the Sea Salt Soiree – it just sounded like my kind of chocolate. I was right. It was a delicious milk chocolate studded with almonds and sea salt. As the other flavors got more rich and intense with cacao, I decided to bake, instead of eat,  my way through the chocolate. What did I get inspired to make? Sea Salt Soiree Chocolate Soufflé.

I have never made a soufflé. I have never even eaten one. There is an imminent fear that a soufflé presents – that it is either hard to make or super delicate. Well, this recipe is super easy. I posed the question on Facebook of where to find a good soufflé recipe, and my friend Morgan suggested I peruse the Martha Stewart site. Well, duh. She does have tons of baking expertise right? I gave it a try.

This recipe was great, and for my first time, I would say I did pretty good.

Now, a side note: as a food blogger, you have to do one of two things. Either make your food during sunlight hours in order to take advantage of the great natural lighting, or risk waiting for everyone’s food to get cold while trying to get the perfect shot. Since souffle’s fall faster than they rise, I decided to make two: one earlier in the day to get a good shot and a second at night so my husband could have his fresh. The funny thing is, his ended up looking better than mine – I wish I had gotten that photo! I had to get my pictures fast, because as you can see, it was already starting to fall. Make sure if your ramekins have a lip (like mine) pour the badder in so it rises just above that – you won’t get that funny double tower thing I got.

Anyhow, back on topic. I actually used a little of all three flavors of chocolate in my soufflés and I can only assume that a great tasting soufflé needs great tasting chocolate. The Ghirardelli chocolate was perfect for this. Using a combination left me with a flavor that was not too sweet or too bitter. It was really quite a fabulous dessert. Intimidating at first, but beyond the initial fright, it turned out to be pretty easy and only took about 30 minutes from start to finish.

This Recipe Linked To Some of These Blog Hops:
{Sun} Recipe Swap Sundays {Mon} Made By You Mondays, Recipe Sharing Monday {Tues} Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays {Wed} These Chicks Cooked {Thurs} Full Plate Thursday {Fri} Fresh Food Fridays, Friday Potluck

 *Swag Bag Disclosure: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a free sample of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates – this did not affect my review of the product and all opinions are my own.