seven hours of sleep

this is going to be the last post on soufflé for this batch of batter, because:

1. i've finished using the batter, and
2. i'm getting tired of eating it =/

to be honest, the second attempt (see previous post) gave a soufflé that was sloping on one side, and it developed a big fissure there, which i declined to photograph. so you were looking at the better side. but this time it's entirely different, and as perfect as can be already.

i sugared the ramekin thoroughly to make sure an even coating all the way to the brim. i think this aided in the even rise. just see the photos! the rise was even, the top was perfectly flat and unscarred:
i think the most exciting part is to sit and watch the oven for the twenty minutes that the soufflé bakes. you just see the top crust forming, then doming like surface tension of water, then it slowly peels away from the rim of the ramekin, and starts rising in a column. i think initially the sugar grains on the sides help the soufflé climb, then as it bakes, they melt, and become caramel, lubricating the sides to encourage even more rising!
indeed, the higher the rise, the less it will look failed as it deflates. i think a higher rise also means - counter-intuitively - a more stable product? it seems the tallest soufflé deflated the least. then again, maybe it's the illusion of proportions. still, it seemed to hold itself for a good two/three minutes.
cracking through the top crust revealed a top layer or chocolatey cream. somehow, that portion was not baked to fluffy dryness. the deep interior was nicely moist too, not creamy-wet. divine.
ok, i'm done being high. just needed the sugar rush to go away.