Ingredients

Pesto Sauce – makes 1 cup

• 3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled, end trimmed
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided into 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)
• salt & pepper for seasoning

Pie Crust – makes 2 crusts (freeze 1 for future use)

• 2 cups flour + more for dusting work space
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ sticks butter, room temperature
• 6 tbsp ice water

Souffliche Base

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot milk
• salt & pepper for seasoning
• 4 extra-large egg yolks

Filling

• â…“ cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping
• â…“ cup pesto sauce*
• 1½ tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
• 5 extra-large egg whites
• â…› tsp cream of tartar
• salt for seasoning

HOW-TO

Make Pesto

1. Place the garlic cloves in a small pan over medium heat and toast for 3-4 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until light brown. Remove from pan, and set aside to cool
2. Turn off the heat and immediately place the pine nuts in the still hot pan from the garlic and toss about 2-3 minutes until golden brown
3. Place basil, pine nuts, garlic and 3 tbsp of cheese in the bowl of a food processor
4. Pulse and stream in olive oil until the desired consistency is reached (a thick paste is usually what you’re looking for). Scrape down sides of food processor if necessary to be certain all ingredients have been blended
5. Season with salt and pepper and blend just a couple of seconds to incorporate
6. Remove pesto from food processor. Fold in the remaining 2 tbsp of cheese. Adjust oil, salt and pepper to taste and it’s ready to serve

Make Pie Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Combine flour and salt in medium bowl
3. Add room-temperature butter, and incorporate into flour with hands until fat is in pebble-sized pieces
4. Add ice water slowly, mixing with hands. Gather into ball and divide in two portions. Wrap one portion in plastic, and freeze for future use
5. Roll into round, ¼” thickness. Place in pie plate and crimp edges
6. Bake for 6 minutes. Take out and let cool while making the souffle base

Prepare Souffle Base

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. Using a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add flour and stir with a wire whisk constantly, 1 minute
3. Add hot milk, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 more minute
4. Remove from heat. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and whisk until combined
5. Add â…“ cup of pesto and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined and place into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes
6. Whip egg whites in a mixer with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Whip 1 minute on low speed, 1 minute on medium speed and 1 minute on high speed. Look for medium-stiff peaks

Assemble & Bake

1. Stir ¼ of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk-pesto mixture. Working in 3 parts of the remaining egg white mixture, gently fold in ⅓ at a time until all egg while mixture is combined with the egg yolk mixture, careful not to fold too much and deflate egg whites
2. Transfer to pie crust, top with grated cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes. The souffliche should be golden-brown and fluffy, ready to eat immediately

Photo and video courtesy of www.how2heroes.com

Chocolate Soufflé

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate (preferably Ghirardelli chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 325.  Butter your soufflé dishes and sprinkle them with sugar.  Put the chocolate, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons of hot water in a small pot, and melt together on low heat.  (Using a small whisk works really well.)  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour and cool for 1 minute.  Gradually add the milk.  When the mixture is scalded, add the chocolate mixture to it.  Beat the egg yolks well, and add a bit of the chocolate mixture to them.  Then add all of the yolk mixture to the rest of the chocolate.  Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with the pinch of cream of tarter until foamy.  Then add the rest of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Mix 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Fold the rest in carefully.  Now mix in the vanilla.  Pour the batter into soufflé dishes and cook for 15 minutes or until the soufflés rise.

Serve warm with fresh raspberries.