Lemon Soufflé

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

3. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of 6 (6 ounce) ramekins by lightly greasing with butter and sprinkling with sugar. Gently tap to knock out loose sugar.

4. Prepare the soufflé base: To a medium saucepan, add egg yolks, milk, lemon zest and juice, half cup of sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth and set over medium heat. Cook until the cream is thick like pudding; use a spatula to stir and scrape the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter, salt, and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside, allowing it to cool to room temperature.

5. Prepare the egg whites: To a stainless-steel bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; then add egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium speed until the egg whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Do not over beat them, as they can quickly become clumpy and break.

6. Using a large silicone spatula, begin folding the egg whites into the soufflé base in three additions. Add one-third of the whites and use a figure-eight or serpentine motion as you flip and fold the whites, turning the bowl 45 degrees after each fold. Do not mix aggressively, as this will remove a lot of the air needed to make the soufflé rise. If you see little air pockets throughout the mixture, this is a good thing. The goal is to eliminate streaks of egg whites.

7. Using a small ladle or large spoon, evenly divide the batter between eight (6-ounce) ramekins. Fill the ramekins almost full to the top. Do not press down the batter, and it is normal for there to be a mound of batter in the middle of the ramekin.

8. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until soufflés are puffed and golden. About 18-20 minutes. Check them after 18 minutes and if they look firm, test the doneness by opening the oven door and gently jiggling the baking sheet. There should a minimal jiggle to the soufflé at this point. If it looks golden and cracked, they are finished. If not, or there is still some jiggle, close the door and bake for another 2 minutes.

9. Serve immediately, hot from the oven, dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with a small dessert spoon.

From Shawnie's class “Soufflé Workshop”