Hot Chocolate Souffles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the milk in a saucepan until just at boiling point. Pour onto the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add flour. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. Add the chocolate milk gradually, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely.

Brush six 4 X 2 inch, 1- cup souffle dishes or custard cups with melted butter, working the brush from the bottom upwards. Refrigerate until the butter is firm, then repeat. Half fill one of the dishes with sugar and, without placing your fingers inside the mold, rotate so that a layer of sugar sticks to the butter. Tap out the excess sugar and use to coat the other molds. Discard the excess.

Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the 3 tablespoons sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Fold in the cocoa. Lightly beat a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to just blend. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold in very gently but quickly. Do not overmix or the mixture will lose its volume.

Spoon in the mixture to fill each dish completely and level the top with a palette knife. Sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar and then run your thumb just inside the top of the dish to create a ridge, which will enable the soufflé mixture to rise evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the soufflé are well risen and a light crust has formed. The souffle should feel just set when pressed lightly with your fingers. Dust the tops lightly with the sifted confectioners' sugar and serve the souffle immediately.