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Soft Tofu Can Help Create Lighter Souffle

Charlotte Balcomb Lane Knight-Ridder/Tribune

With tinkering, even some of the world’s most decadent dessert recipes can lose fat and calories.

Souffle is a perfect example. A traditional chocolate souffle is a calorie-dense combination of butter, flour, sugar, chocolate and egg yolks lightened with beaten egg whites. It tastes airy but packs a punch, especially for those on lowcholesterol or low-fat diets.

But by substituting soft tofu for most of the egg yolks, you can make an outstanding souffle that has far less fat and fewer calories.

This recipe for Chocolate Velvet Souffle is significantly lower in fat and calories. As a bonus, the tofu version makes a larger souffle than the original, so you get more servings for your efforts in the kitchen.

If you serve Chocolate Velvet Souffle for a dinner party, don’t tell the guests - they will never guess it is made with bean curd.

Chocolate Velvet Souffle

Nonstick cooking spray

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

12 ounces soft tofu, drained

1 tablespoon ground coffee

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg yolk

4 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a straight-sided, 2-quart baking dish or souffle dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a medium-size, microwave-safe dish or in a bowl placed over a saucepan. Add the tofu, coffee, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer. If the chocolate forms into hard lumps, gently reheat the mixture and beat until it is smooth. Beat in the egg yolk.

Thoroughly wash and dry the beaters. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and the eggs don’t slide when the bowl is tipped. Fold the egg whites by thirds into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the souffle mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and almost set in the center. The souffle will stay puffed for about 5 minutes after being removed from the oven.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 156 calories, 5.6 grams fat (32 percent fat calories), 6 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrate, 17 milligrams cholesterol, 221 milligrams sodium.

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