Vanilla Soufflé Food

VANILLA SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Bloom gelatin sheets in cold water. Combine liqueur and vanilla bean seeds in a small saucepan over low heat. Once gelatin sheets have bloomed, add gelatin to the small saucepan to dissolve.
• Whip heavy cream and confectioners' sugar to soft peaks. Once the gelatin has dissolved, pour into the whipped cream and begin whisking on high speed to combine. Pour into glasses and allow to set up overnight.

HOT VANILLA SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 4 to 6 individual souffle dishes (or a 7-cup souffle dish) well with melted butter. Put the sugar inside one dish and toss to coat, then tip the excess sugar into the next dish and repeat. Place the dishes in the refrigerator to chill.
• Reserving 1/3 cup of the milk, place the remaining 1 cup in a large saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and heat just to a boil, then turn off the heat and set aside to let the vanilla bean infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the flour, and the reserved 1/3 cup milk. Add a little of the hot milk and whisk to combine, then add the flour mixture to the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, stir, cover, and set aside 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the egg yolks.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Fold into the milk mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, filling them 3/4 full. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each dish, making a shallow "moat" around the edge of the batter. This will help the souffles to rise straight up. Dust the surfaces with confectioners' sugar. (The souffles can stand at this point for up to 30 minutes.) Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and light golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door unless absolutely necessary.
• Satin Chocolate Sauce: Combine the 2 chocolates over simmering water in the top half of a double boiler. Stir constantly until melted, then whisk in the syrup and water without removing the double boiler from the heat. Whisk until smooth and shiny. (The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. To rewarm, stir over low heat or heat in a microwave.) At the table, serve the hot souffles by poking a hole in each one and pouring chocolate sauce into the hole, then drizzling sauce over the tops. For a large souffle, spoon onto dessert plates and drizzle sauce on each serving.

VANILLA SOUFFLES WITH VANILLA CREME SAUCE

Steps:

• Coat the bottom and sides of 4 6-oz baking dishes with vegetable cooking spray; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook flour mixture, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
• Add half and half, stirring constantly; stir in 4 tbsp sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat.
• Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Gradually stir half of the hot half-and-half mixture into egg yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes; stir in vanilla. Cool 15 to 20 minutes.
• Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add remaining 2 tbsp sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dishes.
• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until puffed and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve immediately with Vanilla Creme Sauce.
• Vanilla Creme Sauce:.
• Combine 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tsp cornstarch in a heavy saucepan; gradually stir in whipping cream. Cook stirring constantly, over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Beat 8 egg yolks until thick and pale; gradually stir about half of hot whipping cream mixture into yolks. Add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.
• Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a small bowl, discarding lumps. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Serve with Vanilla Souffles, fresh fruit, or pound cake.

VANILLA SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Butter and sugar eight 6-ounce soufflé dishes, including the rim of each dish.
• In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine milk and vanilla bean with scrapings.
• Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
• Cover, and let steep for 1 hour.
• Remove bean from milk, and reserve for another use.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and salt.
• Add 1/2 cup steeped milk, whisking to combine and form a paste.
• Transfer paste to saucepan with milk, and cook over medium heat while whisking constantly until thickened and smooth, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• If the mixture begins to get lumpy, remove from heat, and whisk until smooth.
• Remove saucepan from heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath: Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla extract to milk mixture, and whisk to combine.
• Transfer soufflé base mixture to a shallow 1-quart container.
• Cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
• Set saucepan in the ice-water bath to cool completely.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove soufflé base from refrigerator, and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375° with rack in center.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 5 egg whites on low speed with cream of tartar until foamy.
• Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar while slowly increasing the speed of the mixer until it is on high.
• Whip until egg whites are stiff and shiny.
• Gently fold egg whites into the soufflé base in three additions.
• Divide between prepared dishes, gently tap on each dish on the work surface, and place on a baking sheet.
• Transfer to oven, and bake until dark golden and the sides appear spongelike, 16 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Serve immediately with vanilla bean ice cream.

VANILLA SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Put the milk in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until steam rises, about 10 minutes. Stir in the granulated sugar to dissolve, then turn off the heat. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk. Add the pod as well, cover, and steep for about 15 minutes. Remove the pod and discard. Meanwhile, use a bit of the butter to grease a 2-quart soufflé or other deep baking dish. Sprinkle the dish with granulated sugar and invert it to remove excess sugar. (Hold off on this step if you're going to delay baking the soufflés until later.)
• Put the remaining butter in another small saucepan over medium-low heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the milk, a bit at a time, until the mixture is thick. Let cool for a few minutes, then beat in the egg yolks. (You can prepare this base a few hours in advance of baking; cover tightly and refrigerate; bring back to room temperature before continuing.)
• About an hour before you're ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F. Use an electric or hand mixer or whisk to beat the egg whites with the salt until quite stiff. Stir about a third into the sauce to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites, using a rubber spatula or your hand. Transfer to the prepared dish and bake until the top is brown, the sides are firm, and the center is still quite moist, about 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
• Chocolate Soufflé
• Omit the vanilla or not, as you prefer, and add 4 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (like Valrhona, for example), chopped, to the milk as it heats, stirring so the chocolate dissolves.

VANILLA SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Prepare the soufflé dish and affix the paper collar as directed on page 72. Slide the rack onto the lower-third level of the oven, and preheat to 400°F.
• Whisk the flour and half the milk in a saucepan. When well blended, whisk in the remaining milk and the 1/3 cup sugar. Then bring to the boil and boil slowly, whisking, for 30 seconds. This is now a bouillie. Remove from heat; let cool for a moment, then, one by one, beat in the yolks and the optional butter.
• Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons sugar, and beat to stiff, shining peaks (see page 100). Whisk the vanilla into the sauce base, then whisk in a quarter of the whites to lighten it. Delicately fold in remaining whites and turn the mixture into the prepared dish.
• Set in the oven, reduce heat to 375°F, and bake until the soufflé has begun to puff and brown-about 20 minutes. Rapidly slide out rack, and dust the top of the soufflé with confectioners' sugar. Continue baking until it has puffed high into the collar. When is it done? See page 73.
• Remove collar and serve at once.
• VARIATIONS
• ORANGE SOUFFLÉ GRAND MARNIER. Follow the master recipe above, but purée the zest (colored part of peel) of a large orange with the 1/3 cup sugar in a blender or food processor, and use in the sauce base. Stir only 2 teaspoons vanilla into the base, but add 3 tablespoons orange liqueur.
• CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ. Follow the preceding master recipe, but prepare a 2-quart dish to serve 8. Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt 7 ounces semisweet chocolate with 1/3 cup strong coffee (see page 103). Make sauce base as directed in master recipe, using 1/3 cup flour and 2 cups milk; whisk at the slow boil for 2 minutes. Off heat, beat in 3 tablespoons optional butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, a big pinch of salt, 4 egg yolks, and the melted chocolate. Whip 6 egg whites to soft peaks, add 1/2 cup sugar and whip to shiny peaks (see page 100). Combine by ladling chocolate base down sides of egg-white bowl and folding rapidly to combine. Turn mixture into dish, set into oven, reduce to 375°F, and bake for 40 minutes, or until puff starts. Dust with confectioners' sugar and bake until done (see page 73). Serve with lightly whipped crème Chantilly (page 101).

GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Rub the butter on the bottom and sides of four 1-cup souffle dishes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the insides of the souffle dishes.
• Place the egg yolks in a bowl and add 1/2 cup sugar, the orange rind and the Grand Marnier. Beat briskly until well blended.
• In a large, deep bowl, preferably copper, beat the egg whites until stiff. Toward the end, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. (You can use an electric stand mixer, but keep an eye on the egg whites. They should not be too stiff.)
• Spoon the egg-yolk mixture into the whites, folding in rapidly. Place equal portions of the mixture in the prepared souffle dishes.
• Put the dishes on a baking sheet, and place on the bottom of the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and serve immediately.