Apricot Soufflé Recipes

APRICOT SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Generously butter a 1-quart soufflé or gratin dish and coat with a thin layer of sugar. Preheat the oven to 425°F and position an oven rack in the center of the oven. In a medium bowl combine: 1/2 cup Pastry Cream (opposite), 6 tablespoons Apricot Jam (page 385), A few drops of almond extract.
• Mix well and set aside. In a large copper or stainless-steel bowl, combine: 6 egg whites, at room temperature, A pinch of salt.
• Whisk until soft peaks form. Add: 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
• Beat a few more seconds, then sprinkle on: 1/3 cup sugar.
• Continue to beat the whites for a few more seconds. Quickly but gently fold the egg whites into the apricot mixture until just blended. Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared dish. Place the dish in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is puffed and browned. Serve immediately with heavy cream or Vanilla Pouring Custard (page 198), if you like.

APRICOT SOUFFLES WITH VANILLA RUM CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• To make the apricot soufflé:
• In a heavy saucepan simmer apricots, water, and 1/2 cup sugar, covered, 20 minutes. Transfer hot mixture to a food processor and purée until very smooth. Force purée through a fine sieve into a bowl and stir in lemon juice, rum, vanilla, a pinch salt. Cool purée completely. Purée may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered,. Bring to room temperature before proceeding. Transfer purée to a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 7-ounce (3 1/2- by 1 3/4 - inch) ramekins and coat with additional sugar, knocking out excess.
• In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with pinch of salt until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar and beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat meringue until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk about one forth meringue into purée to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Ladle batter into ramekins and bake soufflés on a baking sheet in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and just set in center.
• Remove ramekins from oven. With 2 forks pull open center of each soufflé and pour some crème anglaise into each opening. Serve soufflés immediately.
• To make the vanilla rum crème anglaise:
• In a small heavy saucepan bring half-and-half just to a boil with vanilla bean and remove pan from heat. Scrape seeds from bean with a knife into half-and-half, reserving pod for another use if desired.
• In a bowl whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt and whisk in hot half-and-half in a stream. Return custard to pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened (170°F. on a candy thermometer), but do not let boil. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in rum. Chill sauce, covered, until very cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Makes about 2 1/4 cups.

FROZEN APRICOT SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Wrap a collar of parchment paper or foil around soufflé dish to extend 3 inches above rim of dish and secure with kitchen string.
• Simmer apricots with water in a small saucepan, covered, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Purée apricots in a food processor (mixture will not be completely smooth), then transfer to a large bowl.
• Cook sugar with reserved cooking liquid in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F (soft-ball stage), about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. While continuing to beat, gradually pour hot syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites (be careful not to let syrup touch beaters, or it will spatter and harden), then continue to beat until meringue has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
• Beat cream with extracts in another bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
• Whisk about one third of meringue into apricot pure to lighten, then fold in remaining meringue.
• Fold whipped cream into apricot mixture gently but thoroughly, then spoon into soufflé dish, smoothing top. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.
• Let soufflé stand at room temperature to soften slightly before serving, about 15 minutes. Remove collar and dust top of soufflé with cocoa powder, coating it completely, then dust very lightly with confectioners sugar.