Plum Soufflé with Cinnamon
Blushing pink, dotted with red raspberries, and light as a feather because it is made with only egg whites, this soufflé is the essence of summer. As delicious as it is pretty, it is also easy to make. This is a basic recipe; you could substitute another fruit puree for the plum puree used here.
Ingredients
- Black friar plums - 12 large, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Sugar - 1-1/4 cups
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Raspberry liqueur - 2 tablespoons (alt. eau de vie)
- Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoons fresh (or more to taste)
- Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons, melted
- Egg Whites - 1 cup (about 7 or 8)
- Cream of Tartar - Pinch
- Raspberries - 2 cups, fresh
- Confectioner’s sugar - For dusting
- Creme Anglaise - 2 cups
Instructions
Place the cut-up plums in a large saute pan or skillet with the 1/4 cup of the sugar, the water, and the liqueur or eau de vie. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the fruit is soft enough to mash with a spoon and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon, then taste the fruit and adjust with more lemon juice or cinnamon to taste. Transfer the fruit to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. The puree should be very thick.
Brush the inside of one 6-cup soufflé dish or six 1-cup soufflé dishes with the melted butter. Use 1/4 cup of the sugar to coat the inside of the dish or dishes, rolling it around in the dish to coat all surfaces. Dump out the excess. Set the prepared dishes aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to high, and slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup of the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Beat until the whites stand in stiff peaks.
Place 1 cup of the puree in a large bowl. Gently fold half the egg whites into the puree, then fold in the remaining egg whites. Fill the prepared dish or dishes halfway full with the soufflé batter, place a layer of raspberries on top of the batter, and fill with the remaining batter.Smooth the tops and form into a rounded cone.
Place the soufflés in the oven and reduce the heat to 350 F for a large single soufflé or 375 F for smaller individual soufflés.Bake 35 minutes for the large soufflé, 20 minutes for the small ones, until puffed and golden; a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. Remove from the oven.
To serve: As the soufflé or soufflés come out of the oven, dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately with creme anglaise.
