Pear Souffle Recipes

ROASTED PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Sprinkle breadcrumbs into the greased baking dish, turning to coat the inside. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
• Put all the pear slices in a frying pan over a high heat with 25g of the butter, the sugar, a splash of water and the thyme. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat slightly and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Season with smoked (or ordinary) salt and ground black pepper. Set aside to cool a little.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a pan. When it foams, stir in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring with a spatula, until it smells biscuity. Take the pan off the heat and beat in the warm milk until smooth. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring until smooth and thick.
• Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the egg yolks and half the blue cheese. Put half the pears (a mix of peeled and unpeeled) in the prepared dish.
• In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric hand mixer until they hold medium-stiff peaks. Mix 1 tbsp of the egg white into the egg yolk mixture to loosen it, then gently but briskly fold in the remainder using a metal spoon. Pour into the dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed up but with a slight wobble.
• Meanwhile, toss the salad ingredients with the remaining pears. Whisk the dressing ingredients, drizzle over the salad and season with black pepper.
• Serve the soufflé immediately, sprinkled with the extra thyme, along with the salad and some crusty bread if you like.

SOUFFLE PANCAKE WITH APPLE-PEAR COMPOTE

Steps:

• Make the compote: Soak the prunes and tea bags in 1 cup boiling water, 20 minutes. Discard the tea bags.
• Transfer the prunes and soaking liquid to a small saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and pod, lemon zest and cognac and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the apples and pears and reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
• Make the pancake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a blender (reserve the rest in the skillet off the heat). Add the eggs, salt and half-and-half to the blender and blend. Add the flour and blend until smooth. Add the orange zest, orange juice and almond extract and blend.
• Heat the skillet with the reserved butter over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add the batter, transfer to the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Reheat the compote, if desired; discard the lemon zest and vanilla pod. Dust the pancake with confectioners' sugar; serve with the compote.

EASY PEAR CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease six 3/4-cup souffle dishes or six 6-ounce custard cups.
• Beat together eggs, white sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and frothy, about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream, then flour; beat until mixture is smooth.
• Divide half of batter among prepared dishes, then spread two-thirds of pears over batter. Pour in remaining batter and top with remaining pears.
• Bake 30 minutes, then rotate pan and sprinkle each clafouti with 1 teaspoon coarse sugar. Continue baking until puffy and lightly browned and a knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. (Clafoutis will fall as they cool.)

PEAR SOUFFLéS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand until chocolate softens slightly, about 1 minute. Add bourbon and stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• For soufflés:
• Generously butter six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups, then coat with sugar, tilting ramekins to coat bottoms and sides evenly. Gently tap out any excess sugar. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of pears and sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and sauté until pears are caramelized and juices are thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Scrape pear mixture into bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining pears, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Stir lemon juice into pears. Let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to processor; add pear juices to chocolate sauce. Puree pears until smooth. Transfer pear puree (about 2 cups) to medium saucepan. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill puree.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk egg yolks into pear puree in saucepan to blend. Stir pear mixture constantly over medium-low heat until steam rises and mixture is hot (do not boil). Carefully transfer pear mixture to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites with pinch of salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons sugar to egg whites and beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold 1/3 of egg whites into pear mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide soufflé batter equally among prepared ramekins (ramekins will be full).
• Bake soufflés until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Rewarm chocolate sauce over low heat. Serve soufflés immediately with warm chocolate sauce alongside.

CABRALES CHEESE SOUFFLES WITH ENDIVE AND ASIAN PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Dust with flour; shake out excess. Place dishes in roasting pan. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add milk and whisk until mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, pepper, and kosher salt. Cool soufflé base 15 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into soufflé base in 2 additions (mixture will be runny). Divide soufflé among prepared dishes. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dishes. Bake until soufflés are slightly puffed and golden on top, about 35 minutes (soufflés may not rise above rim of dishes). (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Remove soufflés from water bath; let stand at room temperature. Place soufflé dishes on baking sheet and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.)
• Divide Endive and Asian Pear Salad among 6 plates. Place 1 soufflé dish alongside salad on each plate and serve.

PEAR AND APPLE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with water, and add the juice of 1/2 lemon. Place the fruit in the water as you prepare it. When all of the fruit is prepared, drain and transfer to a large, heavy saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the vanilla and ginger, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir, and then turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until the fruit is very soft and beginning to stick to the pan. It may or may not look like applesauce, depending on the texture of the apples and pears that you used (Granny Smith apples, for example, will break down, whereas Galas will not). Remove from the heat, and transfer to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, and allow to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack adjusted to the lowest position. Butter one 2-quart soufflé dish or six 6-ounce ramekins and dust with sugar (use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sugar).
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed for one minute or until they foam. Add the cream of tartar, and continue to beat on low speed for one minute. Turn the speed to medium, and slowly stream in the remaining sugar while you continue to beat until there are firm, satiny peaks. Be careful not to overbeat.
• Fold one third of the egg whites into the apple-pear puree to lighten it. Fold in the rest. Gently spoon into the ramekins or the soufflé dish, mounding it up over the top. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake individual soufflés for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden. They should still be runny on the inside. Bake a large soufflé for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at once.

PEAR BRANDY SOUFFLE (SOUFFLé AUX POIRES WILLIAMS)

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: Scald the milk. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until light and thick. Stir in the flour and cornstarch.
• Stir half the hot milk into the egg mixture. Then add that mixture to the remaining hot milk in the pan.
• Bring to a boil, whisking until the pastry cream thickens. Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Rub the surface of the hot cream with some butter.
• For the souffle: Peel and core the pears and put them along with the lemon juice into a food processor.
• Purée the pears and then pour into a saucepan.
• Cook the purée for 10-15 minutes. It should be thick enough to hold a shape. Allow to cool.
• Stir the cooled purée into the pastry cream and add the pear brandy. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the pear cream. It can be refrigerated up to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°F Thoroughly butter a 2-qt. soufflé dish.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the sugar and continue beating until they are glossy.
• Reheat the pear cream (if necessary) until it is hot to the touch.
• Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the warm pear cream, mixing thouroughly.
• Gently fold the cream into the rest of the egg whites and pour into the prepared dish.
• Bake the soufflé in a heated oven 20-25 minutes. The soufflé should be puffed and brown.
• To Serve, dust with powdered sugar.

PEAR GINGER SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter dishes well, coat with sugar, and tap out excess. Chill.
• Peel, quarter, and core pears. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Squeeze lemon halves over pieces to prevent discoloring. Place pears and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until they become a chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, and puree. Return to pan.
• Using a clean garlic press, squeeze juice from ginger into puree; discard pulp. Continue cooking puree over low heat until thick and a spoon drawn through puree leaves a trail, about 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir into the puree, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer a few minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl, and beat in egg yolks. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the mixture. Keep warm until ready to use.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Beat until stiff and glossy.
• Spoon 1/3 of the whites into pear base. Add Poire William, if desired, and whisk until smooth. Quickly fold in remaining whites until combined. (Don't worry if there are some streaks.) Fill prepared dishes to about 1/4 inch from the top. Run your thumb around edge of dishes to make a groove. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.
• Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

TAILLEVENT PEAR SOUFFLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine one and one-third cups of the sugar with three cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.
• Peel, core and quarter the pears. Place them in the saucepan, adding a little more water if necessary, so they are just covered with the syrup. Simmer gently until the pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain. Discard the syrup.
• Dice eight quarters of the pears. Puree the rest in a food processor. Return the puree to a saucepan and cook until it is reduced to about two cups.
• In a saucepan, dissolve two-thirds cup of the sugar in one-third cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the hard-crack stage, 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. This is just before the sugar turns to caramel.
• Immediately pour the hot sugar into the warm pear puree and stir. Add the eau de vie de poire.
• Butter eight one-cup souffle dishes and dust them with the remaining sugar. Divide the diced pears among them. The souffle can be prepared ahead up to this point.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
• Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks but are still creamy. Fold the pear puree and egg whites together and spoon the mixture into each of the prepared souffle dishes.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the souffles are puffed and nicely browned. Serve at once.

PEAR SOUFFLE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, place the pears, vanilla bean, and half the fructose. Add the water and cook the pears almost to a puree, adding more water if necessary to keep the mixture from burning. Remove the vanilla bean and drain off any excess liquid. Transfer the pears to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the puree to a bowl and stir in the pear liqueur and additional fructose, if necessary. Add the egg yolks and combine well. Set aside and reserve. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter individual souffle dishes lightly and set aside. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon fructose and continue to beat until stiff but not dry. Gently stir one fourth of the beaten egg whites into the pear puree, and fold in the remaining egg whites. Fill the souffle dishes and smooth the tops with a spatula. Run your thumb around the inside edge of each dish. This will form the "hat" on the souffle, and it will also eliminate the need for a collar. Bake 7 to 8 minutes and serve immediately. Serve one souffle per person. If calories are not a consideration, the souffle is delicious served with creme anglaise.