oh yea. this was supposed to be published like three weeks ago. whoops.
anyway, so i've finally gotten around to this recipe. and yes. making souffles may seem intimidating, since it really is a make-it-or-break-it dessert; however, the sweet, airy, melt-in-your-mouth treat is totally worth it. not to mention that it actually isn't a lot of work.
originally, my parents wanted lemon souffles, but then i decided that those were too common place.... not to mention that none of the lemons in the fresh produce aisle looked very.... fresh. (ew.)
so i used a lemon souffle recipe instead of an orange one, and the classic ones include orange extract, orange juice, and grand mariners...i wanted something a little more natural. i ended up juicing two oranges and measuring out the amount i needed, although i put in around twice the amount of zest the recipe called for. (rolling your orange between your palms before you juice them will warm them up a bit and help them yield more juice.) what can i say? i like my orange-y sweet treats zesty :)
anyway, so i've finally gotten around to this recipe. and yes. making souffles may seem intimidating, since it really is a make-it-or-break-it dessert; however, the sweet, airy, melt-in-your-mouth treat is totally worth it. not to mention that it actually isn't a lot of work.
originally, my parents wanted lemon souffles, but then i decided that those were too common place.... not to mention that none of the lemons in the fresh produce aisle looked very.... fresh. (ew.)
so i used a lemon souffle recipe instead of an orange one, and the classic ones include orange extract, orange juice, and grand mariners...i wanted something a little more natural. i ended up juicing two oranges and measuring out the amount i needed, although i put in around twice the amount of zest the recipe called for. (rolling your orange between your palms before you juice them will warm them up a bit and help them yield more juice.) what can i say? i like my orange-y sweet treats zesty :)
the most important things to pay attention to when making souffles is the egg white. these tricky babies are what makes the souffle rise, and not having enough air in your souffle is fatal and will send your impressive dessert plummeting into a suicide dive back into itself. needless to say, that's not what any of us want. make sure they're at room temperature; this way they hold more air.
when you're whipping the egg whites, make sure there is ABSOLUTELY no other ingredient in there, especially wet ones, a tiny shred of egg yolk is fine, but will cause your whipping to take longer. water is a huge no-no, even if it's just a drop; so make sure your whisk doesn't have any stray drops of moisture on it, just waiting to ruin your airy egg-white pillows. (you know i've got a problem when i start trying to make tiny drops of water sound sinister.)
whip your egg whites to soft peaks, and then add your sugar and keep beating them till they form stiff, glossy peaks. nothing else is acceptable; the lack of air will ruin your night (or just your dessert).
another thing to pay attention to when dealing with your egg white is to be VERY CAREFUL how you're folding the pastry cream into your whites. DON'T YOU ARE STIR THAT MIXTURE. when you fold them in, you want to take your rubber spatula, run it down the edge of the bowl, and go straight to the bottom; run it under your mixture, still sticking to the bottom, and then using your wrist, turn it so that the mixture literally makes a fold. keep repeating until everything is combined, in as few strokes as possible. seriously. the more strokes, the more likely you are to stir out your air.
for the pastry cream, the only real key tips i have for you are this: (1) don't overcook the egg yolks; you want it at a custard-y consistence, and (2), don't you dare stop stirring your cream when it's over heat. seriously. don't. you'll regret it.
before you add your pastry cream to your egg whites, make sure it's not hot anymore, or your egg whites will cook before you can even put your mixture in your ramekins. you can make your pastry cream in the morning if you're going to be serving it for dinner, and once it cools off, you can pop some cling wrap over your container and place it in the fridge until you need it. totally okay. however, your egg whites should be fresh, and you HAVE to serve those airy babies fresh out the oven, since they will deflate if they've been left alone too long.... :/
Those crazies will rise sky high when you bake them- seriously, watch out, hong kong skyscrapers. you've got competition. i thought mine looked a bit like nuclear bomb explosions in my oven :P (oh, and we only have 4 ramekins, so i popped the rest of the batter into sturdy cupcake wrappers/thingamajings. i can't remember what they're called right now.)
when you're whipping the egg whites, make sure there is ABSOLUTELY no other ingredient in there, especially wet ones, a tiny shred of egg yolk is fine, but will cause your whipping to take longer. water is a huge no-no, even if it's just a drop; so make sure your whisk doesn't have any stray drops of moisture on it, just waiting to ruin your airy egg-white pillows. (you know i've got a problem when i start trying to make tiny drops of water sound sinister.)
whip your egg whites to soft peaks, and then add your sugar and keep beating them till they form stiff, glossy peaks. nothing else is acceptable; the lack of air will ruin your night (or just your dessert).
another thing to pay attention to when dealing with your egg white is to be VERY CAREFUL how you're folding the pastry cream into your whites. DON'T YOU ARE STIR THAT MIXTURE. when you fold them in, you want to take your rubber spatula, run it down the edge of the bowl, and go straight to the bottom; run it under your mixture, still sticking to the bottom, and then using your wrist, turn it so that the mixture literally makes a fold. keep repeating until everything is combined, in as few strokes as possible. seriously. the more strokes, the more likely you are to stir out your air.
for the pastry cream, the only real key tips i have for you are this: (1) don't overcook the egg yolks; you want it at a custard-y consistence, and (2), don't you dare stop stirring your cream when it's over heat. seriously. don't. you'll regret it.
before you add your pastry cream to your egg whites, make sure it's not hot anymore, or your egg whites will cook before you can even put your mixture in your ramekins. you can make your pastry cream in the morning if you're going to be serving it for dinner, and once it cools off, you can pop some cling wrap over your container and place it in the fridge until you need it. totally okay. however, your egg whites should be fresh, and you HAVE to serve those airy babies fresh out the oven, since they will deflate if they've been left alone too long.... :/
Those crazies will rise sky high when you bake them- seriously, watch out, hong kong skyscrapers. you've got competition. i thought mine looked a bit like nuclear bomb explosions in my oven :P (oh, and we only have 4 ramekins, so i popped the rest of the batter into sturdy cupcake wrappers/thingamajings. i can't remember what they're called right now.)
anyway, mine turned out to be light, airy, totally zesty, with just the right amount of sweet orange in it. try it! i challenge you :D
recipe after the jump :)
recipe after the jump :)