Individual
Raspberry Souffles
Chef
Jacques Torres
Adapted by StarChefs
(makes six 4-inch souffles) For the souffle base
Ingredients:
- about 2 cups fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbls. granulated sugar
- 2 Tbls. Sure-Jell
For the Italian Meringue
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbls. granulated sugar
- 8 large eggs
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend well. Can
be stored in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for
up to 3 months.
To finish the souffle :
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 400F. Souffles are baked at a high temperature
to ensure a good rise. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the
inside of six 1-cup souffle molds with softened butter. Fill
each mold with granulated sugar, then pour out any excess. If
you have properly buttered the molds, the sugar will stick to
the sides and bottom. The butter and sugar will keep the souffles
from sticking to the sides and will allow them to rise evenly.
The sugar will also give the souffle a crunchy crust, which
I think makes a great contrast to its soft interior.
Prepare the souffle base: Place the raspberries, sugar and Sure-Jell
in a 1-quart saucepan and whisk over medium-high heat until
the mixture boils and thickens. Allow it to boil for 1 to 2
minutes, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and set
aside.
Prepare the Italian meringue: Pour the water and sugar
into a 1-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high
heat. When bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan,
insert a candy thermometer in the mixture. When the sugar reaches
245F, begin to whip the egg whites.
Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip with an
electric mixer on medium-high speed until foamy and slightly
soft peaks.
The sugar is ready when it reaches 250F what is known as the
soft ball stage. Make an Italian meringue by pouring the cooked
sugar down the side of the bowl as you continue whipping the
egg whites. Be very careful not to pour the hot sugar onto the
beaters, or it will splatter. Continue whipping the meringue
until the outside of the bowl is warm but not hot, about 5 minutes.
Do not overwhip, or it will not incorporate evenly into the
base and, when baked, the souffles will have pieces of chewy
egg white in the center. You can tell the egg whites are overwhipped
if they start to separate and look like scrambled eggs.
Fold the warm souffle base into the warm Italian meringue in
two additions. Fold just until combined (you may still see flecks
of raspberry), being careful not to deflate the mixture. It
is important for both these mixtures to be warm so they will
combine together smoothly. If one mixture is significantly cooler
than the other, it will form clumps when the two are folded
together. The warm meringue will also add stability to the unbaked
souffle by slightly cooking the egg whites, keeping the souffle
from collapsing.
Place the souffle mixture in a large pastry bag with a 2-inch
opening (no tip). Pipe into the buttered and sugared molds.
The best way to do this is to hold the pastry bag directly over
each mold with the tip down. Place the tip inside the mold about
1 inch from the bottom. Using even pressure, pipe the souffle
mixture into the mold, lifting the pastry bag straight up as
the mold fills. When you have piped to about 1 inch above the
rim of the mold, stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up,
leaving a small tail at the top of the souffle. The piped souffle
will look like a pink chocolate kiss. If you do not have a pastry
bag, you can use a rubber spatula to gently spoon the souffle
mixture into the molds. (The unbaked souffles will hold at room
temperature for one hour before baking.)
It will be easier to remove the souffles from the oven if you
place the molds on a baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in the
center of the oven; do not place the baking sheet under a rack.
If the souffles are too close to the top of the oven or under
a rack, they will stick to the oven or the rack when they rise.
If the souffles are too close to the bottom of the oven, the
bottoms will burn before the insides are properly cooked. Bake
until the souffles double in height and start to brown on top,
about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and
dust the tops of the souffles with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
If you prefer to make one large 8-inch (1 1/2-quart) souffle,
you can gently spoon the mixture directly into the buttered
and sugared mold with a rubber spatula; it is not necessary
to pipe it with a pastry bag. The souffle mixture should come
to about 1 inch above the rim of the dish. Bake at 375F for
about 20 minutes.
The souffle base can be stored in the refrigerator in an original
container for up to two weeks. It should be brought to a boil
before it is combined with the Italian meringue. |
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