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French Lemon Soufflé

From the French verb souffler—to blow or inflate—comes the magical and delicious soufflé—literally "puffed" or "inflated"—that most home cooks seem to avoid, thinking it's too complicated to make. Truth is, soufflés are just like any other recipes that require well-beaten egg whites: They need patience and care.

Ingredient:

For the Soufflé Dish:

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Soufflé Mixture:

  • 1 1/3 cups whole milk, divided

  • 7 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

  • 4 large egg yolks

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cold

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 4 large egg whites

For Garnishing:

Recipe Direction :

Make the Base

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a large soufflé dish and roll the granulated sugar throughout the dish, making sure to cover all the interior surfaces, especially the sides. Set aside.

  3. In a medium saucepan set over low-medium heat, bring 1 cup of the milk to just steaming.

  4. Stir together 5 tablespoons of the granulated sugar with the all-purpose flour, lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup milk, and egg yolks until the mixture turns into a smooth batter.

  5. Slowly whisk half of the hot milk into the batter, making sure to combine the ingredients well until they are completely smooth.

  6. Add the tempered batter back into the hot milk in the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.

  7. Stir and cook the mixture until it has thickened, or about 1 minute.

  8. Stir the cold butter into the mixture and mix well. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

  9. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Prepare the Egg Whites

  1. In a separate very clean bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they become foamy and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

  2. Continue beating the egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff glossy peaks.

Make the Soufflé

  1. Gently stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the vanilla mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whipped egg whites.

  2. The vanilla mixture should be evenly colored and light and bubbly, without egg white streaks or marbling.

  3. Spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared dish. Bake right away for 25 to 30 minutes, or slightly longer if at high altitude, until the soufflé has risen with a crusty exterior. If needed, cover it, and refrigerate it until ready for baking.

  4. Serve the soufflé with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and a few berries, if desired.