![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
In a Nutshell: Mint Chocolate Souffle
The mint chocolate souffle is a light, refreshing dessert that tastes great anytime. To make it even better, eat fresh out of the oven with ice cream.
We realize prom already happened, but this is the last installment of our prom series (and honestly, all of these dishes are great at any time). We took the classic chocolate souffle and infused it with a minty fresh flavor. Because who doesn’t love mint chocolate?
Recipe:
Notes
- Difficulty: Once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult at all. But it might take a couple tries, so we’re going to say medium.
- Length: 20 minutes prep, ~15 minutes bake.
- Methods of cooking: Bake
- Keep in mind: Don’t over-fold the souffle, and don’t open your oven door in the middle of the cooking process. (The souffle rises because all the air bubbles you whisked into the egg whites expand with heat, so if you open the door and let the temperature drop the souffle will collapse). Also, every oven is slightly different, so you may have to play around with the times.
- Note from Fred: Before you take the souffle out of the oven, pre-scoop some ice cream. Right before serving (which should be immediate), drop the ice cream into the center and revel in that hot/cold fluffy/creamy juxtapositioned goodness.
- Note from Priscilla: Don’t leave mint leaves in the souffle batter because they turn bitter, and I personally don’t like tasting leaves in the souffle – sort of ruins the texture. Also, serve immediately before it deflates!
- Why we made it:
- Why you should make it: It’s a simple dish with a lot of show-off privileges, once you get the hang of it.
Ingredients
- A tiny bit of butter per ramekin (to grease the insides)
- A couple teaspoons of sugar (to coat the insides)
- 8 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5-6 mint leaves
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 3 eggs, to be separated
- 2 tbsp white sugar
Equipment
- Ramekins (the recipe is designed for 2)
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Double boiler or microwave
- Mixing bowls
- Fork/chopsticks/knife/something to pick out the mint leaves from the melted chocolate
And that’s mint chocolate souffle, in a nutshell!
Fred Chang (12) is the Managing Editor of the TALON Yearbook and co-creator of In a Nutshell. Her positions on yearbook were reporter, Copy Editor, and...
Priscilla Pan is the features editor for the Winged Post and co-creator of In a Nutshell. She is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for...