Chocolate Souffle

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the first 4 ingredients (cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon) in a 2-4 quart sauce pan. Turn burner on to medium and whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil while whisking continuously to get a uniform thickening. Continue for a minute or so until thickened. Stir in the vanilla and and let cool.

Butter the inside bottom and sides of 6 to 8 6 oz. ramekins or 4 12 oz. ramekins. Sprinkle a few table spoons of sugar in the first one, turn in mostly on its side and rotate it about its axis, coating the side as well, letting the excess sugar fall into the next ramekin in line. Continue the process, adding sugar as necessary. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet to ease baking.

In a grease-free bowl, beat the 5 egg whites until foamy. Continue beating while adding the cream of tartar. When soft peaks form, add the remaining sugar, over a minute or so. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Stir the cocao mixture well. Scoop about 1/4 of the egg whites into the cocao pan and gently fold the whites in to lighten the mixture. Now fold this back into the whites until well mixed. Spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins until just at or a little above the tops. You can smooth the tops with a spatula if you care. As an option, you can sprinkle the tops with a little chopped dark chocolate. Place into the oven and bake until puffed and firm (10-20 mins). Note that when using larger ramekins (or a single casserole), you may want to control the baking by putting the ramekins in a dish filled with water coming up about 1/3 of the way up their sides (like a custard).

6+ 6 oz ramekins, or 4 12 oz ramekins, or a single 2 qt casserole