Say "You're My Special Love" with a rich, airy chocolate soufflé served with a Bacardi Rum Anglaise.

There's no need to be scared of preparing a soufflé. Don't be intimidated as I've broken down the preparation into easy to follow steps.

This instructable has lots of pictures to help you impress your sweetie. And to make it easier, most of the recipe can be prepared ahead of time, so when you're ready to bake the soufflé, it's only takes 20 minutes.

Step 1: Ingredients -- Bacardi Rum Anglaise Sauce:

2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Sugar
5 Egg Yolks
1 Vanilla Bean
To taste Bacardi Rum (about 1 tsp per 1/4 of finished sauce)*

This recipe will make more than you need for the soufflé, but the remaining sauce is great over berries or to dress up a plated dessert.

To prepare you'll need: a pot, a ladle, a whisk, a rubber spatula, 3 bowls, a strainer.

Prepare an ice bath in the largest bowl and set aside. You'll need this when the Anglaise Sauce is done.

*The rum is not pictured till the end because I would suggest only mixing rum into the sauce you serve with the soufflé in case you want to use the remaining sauce in other applications.

Step 2: Preparation -- Bacardi Rum Anglaise Sauce:

Prepare the vanilla bean by taking a paring a knife and cutting a slit the length of the bean. Scrape the tiny seeds using the knife.

Place the heavy cream in a pot, add the vanilla bean and seeds, and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of sugar on top. DO NOT stir. By sprinkling the sugar on the cream, it will help so it doesn't scorch. Place on stove at medium heat.

As the cream starts to get close to boiling, whisk together the remaining sugar and egg yolks. To temper the yolks: When the cream starts boiling, take a ladle-full and start pouring slowly over the yolks while continuously whisking. After you've poured about 2/3 of the cream over the yolks, pour the yolk mixture back into the pot, reduce heat to medium/low and immediately start stirring. You'll notice that the mixture will start to thicken. When the sauce starts to coat the back of spatula ~ draw your finger across the spatula to see if the line holds (note I took a picture using a wooden spoon to see it easier), immediately remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Place the bowl into the ice bath and stir occasionally to cool completely. Stir in rum. Refrigerate.

This can be prepared two days ahead.

Step 3: Ingredients: Chocolate Souffle Base

1-1/2 cup Whole Milk
1 stick Unsalted butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup All purpose flour
6 Egg yolks
1/4 cup Dark cocoa

(SAVE THE EGG WHITES TO FINISH THE SOUFFLE)

To prepare souffle, you'll need: a pot, a bowl, a whisk, a rubber spatula, an electric mixer, ramekins

To prepare the soufflé base: In a pot, bring to a boil milk, sugar, and butter. While the mixture is heating, sift together cocoa. When it starts to boil, stir in the flour/cocoa blend. Mixture will thicken. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle. Mix for a minute and then gradually start adding the yolks. Cool completely. You can refrigerate at this point until you're ready to use.

This base will make enough for about 4-5 large soufflés.

The base can be prepared up to one day ahead; this will make the finishing of the soufflé a breeze!

Step 4: Preparing the Ramekin

Ramekins are used are 10 oz ramekins. You can use smaller ramekins following the same steps, but you'll have to reduce the baking time.

Butter the ramekin completely. Pour in about a couple of tablespoons of sugar and coat completely.

Take your thumb and wipe the upper edge of the ramekin completely around.

By cleaning the edge of the ramekin, the batter will go straight up instead of sticking to the ramekin or going over the edge.

Set aside.

Step 5: Finishing the Soufflé

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the 6 egg whites you saved from making the soufflé base. Whisk the whites to a stiff peak.

Take 1/2 of the soufflé base you previously prepared and place in a bowl. Note the soufflé base is enough to make about 4 large soufflés. Save the other half of the soufflé base for dinner the next day.

Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the soufflé base. After the base has loosened, fold in the remaining whipped egg whites.

Pour the soufflé mixture into ramekin and fill a little more than 3/4 full.

Bake for 25 minutes. If using smaller ramekins, reduce time to about 18 minutes.

Step 6: Serving

Remove soufflé from the oven and carefully place on a heat-safe plate.

At the table, as you're getting ready to serve, take two spoons back to back and gently pull apart to create a small hole in the middle of the soufflé. Take the Bacardi Rum Anglaise Sauce and pour a couple of tablespoons into the hole you created.