Pear Soufflés with Chocolate Sauce

Bring cream to simmer in smallsaucepan over medium heat.

Remove fromheat.

Add chocolate and let stand untilchocolate softens slightly, about 1 minute.

Add bourbon and stir until chocolate ismelted and sauce is smooth. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Coverand refrigerate.

Generously butter six 3/4-cupramekins or custard cups, then coat withsugar, tilting ramekins to coat bottoms andsides evenly. Gently tap out any excess sugar.

Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in largenonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Addhalf of pears and sauté until beginning tobrown, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle with 1 1/2tablespoons sugar and sauté until pearsare caramelized and juices are thick, 3 to 4minutes longer. Scrape pear mixture intobowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoonbutter, remaining pears, and 1 1/2 tablespoonssugar. Stir lemon juice into pears.

Let cool toroom temperature, about 45 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer pearsto processor; add pear juices to chocolatesauce. Puree pears until smooth.

Transferpear puree (about 2 cups) to mediumsaucepan. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hoursahead. Cover and chill puree.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk egg yolksinto pear puree in saucepan to blend. Stirpear mixture constantly over medium-lowheat until steam rises and mixture is hot (donot boil). Carefully transfer pear mixtureto large bowl. Using electric mixer, beategg whites with pinch of salt in anotherlarge bowl until soft peaks form. Graduallyadd remaining 5 tablespoons sugar toegg whites and beat until stiff but notdry. Gently fold 1/3 of egg whites into pearmixture to lighten. Gently fold in remainingegg whites in 2 additions. Divide soufflébatter equally among prepared ramekins(ramekins will be full).

Bake soufflés until puffed and golden,about 20 minutes.

Rewarm chocolate sauce over low heat.

Serve soufflés immediately with warmchocolate sauce alongside.