Pear Ginger Souffle Food

TRIPLE GINGER SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter the souffle dish. Grease the bottom and sides of the dish with butter and then coat with 3 tablespoons of the sugar.
• In a medium heavy saucepan melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until foamy. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, cream and ground ginger. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the crystalized and fresh ginger.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture forms stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the milk mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, without opening the door, until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the souffle with edible gold dust and serve immediately.

PEAR AND GINGER PAN SOUFFLé WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in an ovenproof frying pan and cook the pears until golden. Add the ginger and mix in the brown sugar. Heat until the sugar is melted.
• Whisk the egg yolks with caster sugar until thick and foamy. Add the rum and mixed spice. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the egg-yolk mixture. Pour over the fruit, shaking the pan to settle the mixture over the fruit. Cook over medium heat until just set, then place under a hot grill to brown and puff up.
• Spoon over the sauce and cream to serve.
• Heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan until bubbling.
• Add the cream (careful - it hisses and spits) and vanilla. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

GINGER SOUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt in a bowl until well blended. Set aside. Use some of the butter to grease six 8-ounce souffle dishes or charlotte molds. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Beat remaining butter with brown sugar until well-blended. Beat in whole eggs, one at a time. Beating at low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in molasses and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until softly peaked. Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue beating until the mixture holds peaks but is not stiff. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter. Pour the mixture into the souffle dishes. Place in the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until firm to the touch on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool almost to room temperature.
• While the souffles are baking, beat the remaining sugar with the egg yolks until thick and light. In a heavy saucepan, scald the milk and, whisking constantly, slowly pour about half into the egg yolk mixture. Then stir the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk remaining in the saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard has thickened enough to coat the spoon and steam begins to rise from it. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining teaspoon of vanilla, strain into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
• Unmold the souffles by running a knife around the edges and inverting each onto a dessert plate. Spoon some of the custard around each portion and serve.

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 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.

PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Heat water and sugar in a pan until dissolved. Increase the heat, boil vigorously for 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer, add pear and poach for 10 minutes. Drain and dice the pear and put the pieces in 2 buttered ramekins.
• Melt the butter in a small pan, add flour, and stir until absorbed. Gradually add milk. Stir and cook until thick. Add blue cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolk.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold 2 tbsp of eggw hite into the sauce to loosen the mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon into ramekins and place on a cookie sheet.
• Put cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until well risen. Serve immediately.

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.