Caramel Souffle

Name: Caramel Souffle
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Mediterranean, French, European
Ingredients: 2 Tbsps light corn syrup; 1 pinch Pinch of cream of tartar (less than 1/8 teaspoon); 59 milliliters creme fraiche; 9 larges egg whites, at room temperature; 3 larges egg yolks, at room temperature; 118 milliliters heavy cream, warmed to 100 degrees F; 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 1 pinch Pinch salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon); 59 milliliters sugar; 79 milliliters sugar; 237 milliliters sugar; 2 Tbsps (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted; 59 milliliters water

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Caramel Souffle a try. One portion of this dish contains roughly 42g of protein, 93g of fat, and a total of 2390 calories. This gluten free and vegetarian recipe serves 1. Head to the store and pick up sugar, egg whites, water, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the egg yolks you could follow this main course with the Apricot Crumbles as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 25 minutes.

Instructions

Special equipment: 1 large souffle dish or 8 (8-ounce) ramekins

Equipment you will use

Ramekin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

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Oven

Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven.

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Oven

Brush the inside of 8 (8-ounce) ramekins or 1 large souffle dish with melted butter and then lightly but completely dust the inside with sugar.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Ramekin

Whisk together the caramel sauce and egg yolks in a medium bowl. This mixture is the souffle base.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel Sauce

Egg Yolk

Base

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Bowl

Using a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the egg whites for about 30 seconds or until soft foam appears.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Whites

Equipment you will use

Hand Mixer

Blender

Whisk

Add the cream of tartar and continue to whip the whites for 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Cream Of Tartar

Add the sugar and beat until the egg whites reach the medium-stiff peak stage.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Whites

Sugar

Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the caramel mixture to lighten the base. Fold in the remaining whites carefully so that the mixture is not deflated. The most efficient way to fold is to rotate the bowl and spatula simultaneously in opposite directions, one clockwise and the other counterclockwise.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Whites

Caramel

Base

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Bowl

Spoon the souffle into the dish or dishes, filling them to the rim. Flatten the top with a metal spatula. Gently run a paring knife around the inner wall of the ramekin. This created a small wall of air between the souffle and the ramekin, which helps the souffle rise up straight.

Equipment you will use

Ramekin

Spatula

Knife

Place the souffles on a baking sheet.

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Baking Sheet

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for individual souffles or 30 to 40 minutes for a large souffle. When finished, the souffles should be tall, golden brown, dry on the edges and a little creamy in the center.

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Oven

Serve immediately.

Caramel sauce is perhaps the most versatile incarnation of caramel. Besides being both a hot and cold sauce, it makes a great filling for tarts and other pastries. It is also a major ingredient in some of my other recipes, such as truffles that I make with Caramel Ganache and Caramel Souffle. I always keep a variety of caramel blends refrigerated in my bakeshop. They last for weeks and are ready at a moment's notice to fulfill the inevitable special request.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel Sauce

Sauce

Caramel

When I make creamy and clear caramels that have liquid added to them, I take the caramel to a high temperature, because I want a more, intense flavor that won't be diluted when the caramel is stretched. For example, you'll be heating the sugar to 375 degrees F in this recipe and you'll want to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel

Sugar

Adding any liquid to hot caramel will cause it to bubble up like an eruption of molten lava. Using a pot that is at least twice the volume of the ingredients will prevent boil-over.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel

Equipment you will use

Pot

Heating the liquid first reduces the volatility of this reaction but does not eliminate it, so be prepared. Oven mitts and a long-handled whisk are helpful, and don't stick your head or arms directly over the pot. It is important to remember that the steam rising out of a pot of hot caramel is as hot as the caramel inside, and nothing is as painful as a steam burn.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel

Equipment you will use

Oven Mitt

Whisk

Pot

Creme fraiche adds the perfect balance to this sauce, taming the sweetness with a touch of acidity. If you can't find it, and don't have time to make it, sour cream is a good substitute. I also balance the flavor of this sauce with a second addition of sugar and a little lemon juice at the very end. This adds another subtle dimension of flavor.

Ingredients you will need

Sour Cream

Lemon Juice

Sauce

Sugar

Heat a saucepan of water and place a whisk in it.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Whisk

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly.

Combine the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir them together with very clean fingers, making sure no lumps of dry sugar remain.

Ingredients you will need

Corn Syrup

Sugar

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Brush down the insides of the pan with a little water, using your hand to feel for any stray granules of sugar.

Ingredients you will need

Sugar

Water

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Frying Pan

Cover the saucepan and place it over medium heat for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Do not stir from this point on. Keep an eye on the pan. It will be very bubbly. When stray sugar crystals appear on the side of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush.

Ingredients you will need

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Pastry Brush

Sauce Pan

Frying Pan

As the sugar cooks, the bubbles will get larger. Insert a candy thermometer, and when the temperature reaches 300 degrees F, lower the heat to medium, which will slow the cooking. Continue to cook the sugar until it reaches 350 degrees F. It will be dark brown.

Ingredients you will need

Candy

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Candy Thermometer

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 1 minute, or until the bubbles subside.

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Pot

Add the cream to the caramel. It will bubble up vigorously, so be careful.

Ingredients you will need

Caramel

Cream

Vigorously whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, creme fraiche, lemon juice, and salt. This sauce is now ready to be served warm or cooled to room temperature. It will keep stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. When cold, it has the consistency of peanut butter.

Ingredients you will need

Creme Fraiche

Peanut Butter

Lemon Juice

Sauce

Sugar

Salt

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

2Tbsps

light corn syrup 1pinch

Pinch of cream of tartar (less than 1/8 teaspoon)59milliliters

creme fraiche 9larges

egg whites, at room temperature 3larges

egg yolks, at room temperature 118milliliters

heavy cream, warmed to 100 degrees F 1teaspoons

fresh lemon juice 1pinch

Pinch salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon)59milliliters

sugar 79milliliters

sugar 237milliliters

sugar 2Tbsps

(1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted 59milliliters

water

Recommended wine: Bordeaux, Champagne, White Burgundy

French works really well with Bordeaux, Champagne, and White Burgundy. French wine is just as diverse as French food, but you rarely go wrong with champagne. If your meal calls for a white wine, you might also try a white burgundy. For a red, try a red bordeaux blend. The Baron des Chartrons Bordeaux with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 11 dollars per bottle.