Ibarra Chocolate Soufflé with Minted Serrano Ice Cream

To make the ice cream: Bring the half-and-half, mint, and chilies to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture has thickened enough to form a slowly dissolving ribbon when drizzled back on itself. Stir a large spoonful of the hot half-and-half to the egg mixture and whisk together to temper the eggs, then slowly whisk the eggs into the hot half-and-half. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Place the pan in a bowl of ice and stir the mixture to cool it quickly. When cool, strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Pack into an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use.

To make the brittle: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Heat the sugar, water, and corn syrup to 300 F in a heavy saucepan. Turn off the heat and stir in the nuts and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and baking soda and blend. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and let cool. Crack into bite-sized pieces. Store in a cool, dry place.

To make the tuile cups: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place 6 to 8 cups or glasses upside down near your work area. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the egg whites, then gradually stir in the flour until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the nuts. Cut parchment paper to fit two baking sheets, then trace 6-inch-diameter circles onto the sheets of paper. Spread the batter as thinly as possible within the area of the tracings, then bake the tuiles for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just golden. Cook in batches as necessary. Remove from the oven. One at a time, quickly lift a tuile and center it over the bottom of a cup or glass, pressing the sides down to form a cup. When the first group of cookies has set, remove them and set aside. Repeat with all the tuiles. If the tuiles become too cool and stiff to bend, place them back in the warm oven for 30 seconds to a minute to rewarm. Completely cool the cups, then store in a cool dry place, or sealed in plastic bags in the freezer until ready to use.

To make the caramel: Place the sugar and water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, swirling occasionally. Cover the pan, raise heat to medium high, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the liquid gives off large, thick bubbles. Remove the cover and cook, swirling the syrup, until it turns golden brown. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter with a wooden spoon. Guard against spatters. Add the cream, stirring constantly, then add the vanilla. Return the pan to low heat and stir constantly until any lumps have melted and the syrup is smooth. The caramel may be stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To prepare the soufflés: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter and lightly flour six 3-inch-by-1-1/2-inch round molds and place them on the prepared parchment. In the top of a double boiler or a bowl over barely simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter and stir together with a spatula. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is very light yellow and the sugar has dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes. The bubbles in the mixture should be very very tiny. Transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl and gently fold in the flour in three additions, sifting the flour over the egg mixture for each addition. Gently fold the melted chocolates into the egg mixture in three additions. Fill the molds three-fourths of the way to the top with the mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the cajeta: Combine the goat’s milk and 3/4 cup of the cow’s milk in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine the cornstarch with the remaining cow’s milk and add to the boiling milk, then add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved. Off the heat, stir the caramel into the milk mixture, guarding against spatters. Return the mixture to medium heat and bring back to a boil; simmer until it is reduced by half in volume and has thickened.

To finish the soufflés: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the baking sheet with chilled molds in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until puffed.

To serve: Combine the hot chocolate sauce and Kahlua. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into each plate and swirl to completely coat the inside bottoms of the plates. Put the creme anglaise and cajeta in separate squeeze bottles. Make a circle of 1-inch dots of creme anglaise around the chocolate sauce on each plate; put a small dot of cajeta in the center of each creme anglaise dot. Place a soufflé on one of the plates, off-center. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the mold and lift away from the soufflé. Repeat on all the plates. Dust the soufflés with a little confectioner’s sugar. Place a tuile cup beside each soufflé and fill each with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle a little cajeta over each scoop of ice cream. Connect the dots: pull through the cajeta and creme anglaise dots with a sharp knife or toothpick, circling in one direction through all the dots. Sprinkle pine nut brittle over the ice cream.