I LOVE THIS STRAWBERRY SOUFFLE. It's airy and light. It's sinfully delicious, but not too sweet. And best of all, it's pink! My easy recipe for this fabulous French dessert:
You can use any round baking dish for a souffle, as long the dish holds 6-8 cups of liquid. I used my 8 cup Charlotte mold, pictured above, for today's dessert.
I should probably mention that in the step-by-step directions below, you'll find lots of...steps. But fear not. Each step is easy-peasy. And fail-proof.
Strawberry Souffle
Ingredients for one souffle, serving at least 6-8
Unsalted butter, for greasing the souffle dish and collar
Granulated sugar, for dusting the dish
2 - 2 1/2 cups strawberry puree (obtained from one quart fresh, or 2 pounds of frozen strawberries*)
The whites of 5 large, local eggs, warmed to room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 big pinch of salt
1 heaping Tablespoon corn starch
1 1/2 cups super-fine sugar
*Frozen strawberries are conveniently available in one-pound bags at most supermarkets. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
Special equipment - an 8-cup Charlotte mold, OR a found, fairly straight-sided, oven-proof baking dish that will hold 6-8 cups; wax paper or aluminum foil for the souffle-collar; an ordinary pin for securing the collar.
I used frozen strawberries for today's souffle-making adventure. Why? Because it's April. Where I live, strawberries bear fruit in June.
To start, generously butter the souffle dish.
And don't be fooled by that tiny speck of butter in my hand. I used one full tablespoon for this greasing-job.
Next, pour some granulated sugar into the dish, and then tilt and swirl the dish so that the butter becomes coated with sugar. Knock out any excess sugar.
To keep the rising souffle from spilling over the sides of the dish, place a collar around the dish. To do this, take a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil that's long enough to surround the mold. Fold the paper or foil in half, and then coat it with butter or non-stick spray.
I've tried both wax paper and aluminum foil when testing this recipe. Each worked equally well.
Aren't you glad I test these things for you?
Wrap the folded, buttered collar around the dish. If you are using a Charlotte mold, use a knife to make little slits to accommodate the pan's handles, or "ears," as above.
Use an ordinary pin to secure the collar in place.
The strawberries - Wash, stem, and hull fresh berries. Mercifully, frozen, store-bought berries are already washed, stemmed and hulled. Pour the berries into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, just to achieve a thick puree.
Don't have a food processor? Puree the fruit one cup at a time in an electric blender.
This is the thick, delicious puree you are aiming to achieve. Take care not to over-process.
You will need only 2 to 2 1/2 cups of puree. If you end up with 3 cups or more, as I did, you can reduce the fruit in one of three ways.
1. Eat the surplus.
2. Use the surplus to make a sauce that will surround each serving of souffle.
3. Eat the surplus.
Crack one egg at a time, and let the white part fall into a small cup. This way, if any bits of shell are present, or if a yolk should break, you will not have to throw out the whole batch.
Pictured above is my new, favorite egg-separating method. I break the egg into my hand, and then let the white part drop between my fingers, and into the cup.
You haven't lived until you've let egg white slither between your fingers.
Pour the whites into a big blue bowl.
Now grab your hand-held mixer...
And beat the whites on low speed until they foam - about 30 seconds.
Beat in one 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. This tartaric acid is anti-deflating insurance.
Beat in a big pinch of salt...
And a heaping tablespoon of corn starch.
Keep beating at high speed until the whites thicken, as pictured above.
And then, with the mixer still running, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of super-fine sugar. Don't add granulated sugar, or your souffle will have a gritty taste. Super-fine sugar dissolves instantly.
And by the way, in the photo above, I've stopped my mixer in order to add the sugar. But that's only because I'm taking pictures. Adding ingredients while mixing at the same time is a two-handed affair.
Tip: Don't take pictures while making this souffle.
Beating is complete when the whites hold their shape when scooped with a green spatula.
Now pour the pureed strawberries onto the whites...
And fold them in with a rubber spatula. To fold, plunk the spatula down through the berry puree, and into the whites. Then turn the spatula on its side, and lift, to bring some of the whites up and over the puree. Keep turning the bowl as you repeat this procedure. The goal is to combine the two ingredients, without deflating the egg whites. It's not difficult to master the art of "folding."
Pour this majestic mixture into the prepared souffle dish, and then place it on the lower-third rack of the a preheated 425 degree oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until the souffle is puffed, and its top develops a golden-brown crust -- 40-45 minutes.
While the souffle bakes, open a bottle of chilled champagne. Strawberry Souffle deserves a bubbly accompaniment.
Here's the baked souffle. I love how the golden crust is marbled with strawberry-pink. Honestly, this dessert is a work of art.
Remove the pin and the collar...
And then stand back and admire your work. But don't admire it for too long -- ideally, you'll want to bring this beauty to table before it deflates.
And if it does deflate, don't despair. It will still be an elegant, compliment-grabbing dessert.
To serve, hold a spoon and fork back-to-back, and then split the crust down the middle.
Now pour yourself a flute of champagne...
And listen to a choir of angels sing.
A Strawberry Souffle, achieved without fuss...a French champagne, poured with a generous hand...Folks, we're living the good life here.
Promise me you'll try this dish someday.
Need a copy-and-paste version of the above deliciousness? Here goes:
Strawberry Souffle
Ingredients for one 8-cup souffle, serving at 6-8 people
Unsalted butter, for greasing the souffle dish and collar
Granulated sugar, for dusting the dish
2 - 2 1/2 cups strawberry puree (obtained from one quart fresh, or 2 pounds of frozen strawberries*)
The whites of 5 large, local eggs, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 big pinch of salt
1 heaping Tablespoon corn starch
1 1/2 cups super-fine sugar
*Frozen strawberries are conveniently available in one-pound bags at most supermarkets. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
Special equipment - an 8-cup Charlotte mold, OR a found, fairly straight-sided, oven-proof baking dish that will hold 8 cups; a length of wax paper or aluminum foil, folded in half and butter or sprayed with non-stick spray (for the souffle-collar); an ordinary pin for securing the collar.
Set the oven rack to the lower-third position; preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Butter the souffle dish, pour in a half-cup or so of granulated sugar, and tilt the dish to coat the butter with the sugar. Tap out excess sugar. Then wrap the collar around the dish, and secure it with a pin.
Coarsely puree the strawberries in a food processor or electric blender. If using a blender, process one cup at a time. Don't over-process -- the goal is a thick (not watery) puree.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites at low speed until foamy. Then increase the speed to "high," and beat in the cream of tartar, salt, and corn starch. Continue beating until the whites thicken, and begin to form soft peaks.
With the mixer still running, gradually beat in the super-fine sugar. Beating is complete when the whites hold their shape when scooped up with a spatula.
Fold the strawberry puree in the beaten egg whites, taking care not to deflate the whites.
Pour the mixture into the souffle dish, set the dish in the oven, and immediately lower the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until puffed, and the top forms a golden brown crust -- 40-45 minutes.
A good French champagne is the perfect accompaniment for this heavenly dessert.
In closing, I'd like to say that this Strawberry Souffle is not in the least bit challenging. Think you'll give it a whirl? You can let me know by leaving a comment.
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