Chocolate Spice Pumpkin Souffles

Fall is finally here!  I absolutely love this time of year.  Turning leaves, football games and sweatshirt weather.  Not to mention Halloween.  The best holiday ever.  I love decorating for Halloween and helping my Little Devil pick out her costume.  Most of all I love baking.  The Fall flavors of pumpkin, apple, caramel and cinnamon just can't be beat.  One of my favorite desserts to make, especially for company are my Easy Chocolate Souffles.  Making them is not any more difficult than whipping up a batch of cookies, but the result is much more sumptuous.  And that got me thinking about making chocolate souffles with a Halloween twist.  I tinkered with the original recipe a bit, to create a decadent chocolate souffle, with just a hint of Autumn spices.  And then I baked them in mini hollowed out pumpkins.  Dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a side of freshly whipped cream, topped with pumpkin pie spice, the end result was a fabulous dessert, perfect for Fall.  I'm thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, and what an elegant alternative to pumpkin pie these would be!

Easy and Elegant!
Perfect for Fall Entertaining...

The Chocolate Spice Pumpkin Souffle Line-Up

Sift together flour, cocoa,
pumpkin pie spice, cardamom
and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Beat egg whites until foamy.
Gradually add sugar and beat until
stiff peaks are formed.

Add egg yolks to melted chocolate
mixture that has been cooling.

Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture.

Stir in vanilla.

Carefully fold in egg whites.

Place hollowed-out pumpkins
on a jelly-roll pan.

Just prior to baking, place
1 teaspoon of sugar inside each pumpkin.

Coat interior of pumpkin with sugar,
discaring excess.

Fill pumpkins with souffle batter.

Bake approximately 25-28 minutes,
until souffles begin to rise
above tops of pumpkins.

Dust with powdered sugar.
Serve immediately, with
freshly whipped cream.

This recipe was shared at:
Hot Eats and Cool Reads Spooktacular Halloween Round-Up!

Chocolate Spice Pumpkin Souffles
1/4 cup unsalted butter
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 large room temperature eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8-10 mini pumpkins, washed and dried, and hollowed out


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Microwave butter and chocolate in a large bowl, approximately 1-1.5 minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.   Sift together flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom and cinnamon.   Set aside.  Beat egg whites with electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Continue beating egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Stir egg yolks into chocolate mixture.  Add flour mixture, then vanilla.  Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, to lighten.  Fold in remaining whites, being careful not to deflate.  Just prior to baking, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar into each hollowed-out pumpkin, coating inside well.  Discard excess sugar.  Fill pumpkins with souffle batter.  Place on jelly-roll pan and bake approximately 25-28 minutes until souffles begin to rise.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Serve immediately with whipped cream that has been sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice.

Prep Time:  Approximately 30 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 28 minutes

This recipe is featured at the:
Newlyweds Blog Pumpkin Link Up