“Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici

che la bellezza infiora.”

“Let’s drink, let’s drink from the joyous chalices

that beauty so truly enhances.”

Alfredo sings these immortal words in La Traviata, inviting people to have a drink making a toast to love and beauty.

So why not celebrate the joy of spring with things that make us happy like bubbly and chocolate? And of course we mustn’t forget the joy of foraging and its beautiful bounty of elderflower.

INGREDIENTS

30 gr vegetable oil (about 2 tablespoons)

30 gr milk (about 2 tablespoons)

1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk

60 gr sugar (you can reduce the amount if you like)

15 gr self-raising flour (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon elderflower and nettle cordial

1 tablespoon pink bubbly (any pink sparkling wine)

60 gr white chocolate

1 small pinch of salt

silicone muffin moulds

Elderflower Soufflé Recipe

METHOD

Melt the chocolate in a ramekin immersed in a pan with simmering (not boiling) water for about 5-10 minutes. Leave aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt to incorporate some air, then add the melted chocolate, the cordial, the pink bubbly, the oil and the milk. Whisk some more to get some air bubbles in the mixture.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

Add the flour, then pour the mixture into silicone moulds sitting on a baking tray. Depending on the size of the moulds you can make 6-7 soufflés.

Bake for 12 minutes checking that the soufflés don’t colour too much – if they do, take them out of the oven.

Leave to cool slightly, and serve – if you wait too long they will deflate.

Notes: I used Lindt chocolate as it’s my favourite and a dash of Stormhoek pink bubbly.