Gu on, treat yourself (Gü Hot Chocolate Souffles)

Member Name: Dinah93

Product:	Gü Hot Chocolate Souffles
Date:	29/09/09 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious, easy to cook, free crockery

Disadvantages: Quite expensive, you can actually feel your thighs growing with each mouthful

I first tried these souffles about 3 years ago when they first came out, and they remain my favourite dessert.

~Packaging and Price~

You get 2 souffles in a pack, and each box costs £2.99. This puts them at the more indulgent end of the market, but worth pushing to for an occassional treat. Each souffle comes in a reusable glass ramekin, which are pretty much bomb proof! We still have every one we've ever used.

~First impressions~

Peeling back the foil lid there is a delicious mellow smell of chocolate. The souffle itself looks like a dark, dense cream, and its hard to believe it will soon be a light and airy pudding. The glass dish is similar in diameter to a mug, but about 1/2 the depth and is filled about 2/3 of the way up.

I do find the new foil lids hard to get off, so make sure you remove all those annoying fragments fully if cooking in the microwave.

~Cooking~

The box states the souffles need to be left at room temperature for an hour before heating. This requires a lot of forward planning I think! I've only done this once, it made not a blind bit of difference, so I've never bothered again.

They can then be heated up in the oven, at 140C for 13 minutes, or in the microwave on high for 30-40 seconds. The box recomends oven cooking for best results, but I actually disagree with this, I've done it both ways and I prefer the softer, lighter souffle that comes from the microwave.

For best results always do them one at a time. If you fancy a spongier pudding with some light sauce around it, go for 30-40 seconds. If you prefer a hot and heavy mousse texture go for 25-30 seconds depending on your microwave. I like to watch through the microwave door, and about 5 seconds after it starts to rise and expand at a terrifying rate, whip it out.

~The Taste~

Eat with a teaspoon for perfect sized portions, and to get every last bit out of the nooks and crannies.

The pud comes out very very hot, so be patient and let it cool for a few minutes, especially if you have done it in the oven.

The flavour though, when you get to it, is incredable, light, fluffy, rich but not cloyying. The richness tastes like really high quality chocolate, high in cocoa and low in fats, the sort you get from Green & Blacks milk bar or Hotel Chocolat.

~Nutritional Information~

Each 70g Hot Chocolate Soufflé contains 321 calories and is suitable for vegetarians. This means I'm steering clear on my current diet, as thats more than many full meals, but whenever I'm feeling blue I know where to turn for an instant pick me up.

~Conclusion~

Rich dark and chocolatey, easy to cook and utterly indulgent, but does anyone have any suggestions for the 50 or so glass ramekins which now have a cupboard all of their own?!

Summary: Delicious and irresistable