This light-as-a-feather souffle is infused with vanilla beans and fresh, fragrant passionfruit.
While making a souffle can sometimes be a hit and miss affair, when you do succeed, the result is fantastic.
If you don't have any fresh passionfruit handy, just use the canned pulp. It works just as well.
A tip on making souffles -- always have the measured ingredients ready before cooking. And, the most important tip is to use scrupulously clean utensils when whipping the egg whites.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 4 Tbsp of butter
- 4 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1-2 passionfruit or 1/4 cup of canned passionfruit pulp
- Icing sugar for dusting
Preparation:
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
- Slowly bring the milk, vanilla bean and sugar to a boil over a medium heat. Then take it off the heat and set aside.
- Remove the vanilla bean and cut it down the middle. Scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife tip and place them back into the milk. Discard the pod.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time. Keep whisking for about a minute. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.
- Return the pan to a medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring the whole time.
- Cook sauce for about 40 seconds then remove from heat. Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap and set aside to cool slightly.
- Grease several small souffle ramekins with butter and dust with a sprinkling of sugar. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks into the slightly cooled sauce, one at a time, until smooth. Next, add the passionfruit pulp and stir well.
- In a clean metal bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric beater.
- Spoon half the egg whites into the sauce with a clean metal spoon. Fold egg whites through very gently then fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour mixture to the top of the souffle ramekins. Level the mixture with a knife so that it's even.
- Bake until risen and slightly golden on top for about 15-20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.