Have you thought about making a soufflé but never dared? Never fear. You’re likely to succeed first time and I thoroughly recommend the experience. Or maybe you’re a soufflé veteran? Either way, you’re welcome to join our informal mini soufflé challenge! You can follow your own recipe or choose between my basil and nutmeg cheese soufflés and cherry and almond soufflés warmed by cinammon, clove and a slug of Kirsch cherry liqueur! A gluten-free treat with dairy-free or sugar-free options! It’s a lovely delicate dessert and delving in with your spoon through the cloudlike almond fluffiness you’ll reach the warm but slightly sharp cherry compote at the bottom. Yummy delightfulness!
Cherry and almond soufflé
Adapting
This recipe is an adaptation of the Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber’s pistachio and cherry soufflés from his book Patisserie made simple. Stiffly beaten egg whites are folded into crème pâtissière to create a fluffy mixture over a simple compote. I’ve changed the quantities and there’s an extra egg white then instead of pistachios my soufflés incorporate ground almonds, salt and optional bitter almond extract. Adding honey (instead of sugar), cinammon, cloves and kirsch to the cherries, really ups the flavour oomph. Delicious. But as Edd Kimber suggests, you could experiment with your own flavourings and compote.
Cherry and almond soufflés
‘Free’ options
With xylitol the soufflés take longer to bake, staying softer in the middle and rising less. The almond milk also produces a softer structure that collapses more quickly when out. But both options do rise and make delicious soufflés.
Cherry and almond soufflés with almond milk and sugar.
Timings (45 mins work and waiting from 1 hour to a day between stages)
- Stage 1 (one day or 1.5 hours before baking): cherry compote 10 mins, crème pâtissière 15-20 mins.
- Stage 2: 15 mins then 18- 24 mins baking.
Important: have everyone ready with spoon in hand to eat your soufflés as soon as they’re out of the oven! And be fast taking photos! 🙂
Soufflé about to leave the oven – at the height of its career!
RECIPE – Makes 4 small pots – 8.5-9cm/3.5inch diametre x 5cm/2inch high
The secret to a good soufflé is folding the egg whites in carefully and here’s a brilliant youtube demonstration by the baking wizard: How to fold egg whites into soufflé batters. Also be precise with your measurements, and butter and sugar your moulds well, leaving no fingerprints.
STAGE 1
Cherry compote
- 185-190g/6.5-6-7oz (20-24 cherries – 5 or 6 for each pot) fresh dark pitted cherries (buy about 200g/7oz)
- 1 teaspoon runny honey or caster/superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon or a quarter stick of cinammon (around 2.5cm/1 inch), to taste
- 3 cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon kirsch cherry liqueur (to taste, optional)
Place all the ingredients except the kirsch in a small heavy-based saucepan, on low to medium heat. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes until the cherries soften. Take off heat and add kirsch if using. Taste to check the flavour. Pour into a clean bowl, take the 3 cloves out, let the compote cool then chill in the fridge till required.
Almond crème pâtissière
- 190g/three-quarters of a cup plus 1 teaspoon semi-skimmed milk Options: almond, full-fat or other milks
- 2 cloves
- a pinch of salt
- 3 medium-large egg yolks (56 to 60g) – keep egg whites for stage 2
- 75g/half a cup (put 1 tablespoon in the milk) caster/superfine sugar or ground xylitol plus 20g/one-eighth of a cup for stage 2
- 15g/1 and a half tablespoons cornflour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon (or heat 1/4 cinammon stick in the milk) Option: pinch of nutmeg.
- 1/8 teaspoon or 10 drops bitter almond extract Waitrose or Nielsen-Massey (optional)
- 40g/a third of a cup plus 2 tsp ground almonds (or 40g pistachio paste)
Heat the milk, cloves and salt with one tablespoon of the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan till just simmering. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar or xylitol and whisk 3 minutes till pale and fluffier.
Whisk in the cornflour, ground almonds. ground cinammon and almond extract till combined.
Pour the warm milk into the large bowl while whisking.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly on low-medium heat till it thickens.
As soon as it starts thickening take off the heat and keep whisking, taking in all the edges. Try to get a nice creamy consistency that holds . If too runny return to the heat to thicken while whisking constantly. You can rescue lumpy crème pâtissière by passing it through a sieve.
Pour into a small clean bowl, level out then cover with clingfilm on contact (on the surface) and chill in the fridge.
Butter and sugar the moulds
Put a little softened butter in each mould and brush the bottom, then the sides with vertical lines. Add a teaspoon or two of caster/superfine sugar and tap and shake (over another mould so it catches the excess sugar) to cover the bottom then the sides (the technique’s on my buttering and flouring moulds video). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill.
STAGE 2 – your egg whites and crème pâtissière should be at room temperature (so out of the fridge around an hour)
Preparation: spoon the cherries with very little liquid carefully into the moulds without touching or dirtying the sides (use remaining liquid in a fruit salad). Then return to the fridge.
Baking the soufflés
- 4 large egg whites (150-160g)
- 20g/2 scant tablespoons caster/superfine sugar or ground xylitol
Preheat the oven to 180°C (static, non-convection oven) or 160°C (fan-assisted oven) – make sure there’s a baking tray heating in the oven too, which you’ll place your soufflé dishes on
- Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl till they form soft peaks.
- Add the 20g of caster sugar gradually till you have shiny stiff peaks, but not dry. They should just reach the stage where they don’t fall out of the bowl upside-down.
- Fold a fifth of the whites into the crème pâtissière to loosen it up.
- Fold in the remaining whites till just combined. Don’t overwork or it will flatten out.
- Pour or spoon carefully into your moulds. Unlike my cheese soufflés these work best if filled to the top. Slide a butter knife across to even out the surface and clean the rim with a piece of paper. Some people use their thumb or a butter knife to create a small groove between the rim and soufflé batter.
- Bake your soufflés immediately or later, for 20 to 25 minutes (18 mins if you’d like a softer texture in the middle). Try to never open the oven door while they’re baking though you could after 20 mins.
Soufflés rising in the oven
- Sift icing sugar lightly over the tops and serve immediately.
Eating and storing your soufflés
I’ve baked these soufflés after they’ve been in the fridge a few hours and the next day for brunch, or 2 days later! They rise a little less as time goes by, but they’re still as delicious.
Be brave – it’s just a soufflé
I had comments on my cheese soufflés post from people unsure if they’re courageous enough to bake a soufflé. Others love them but haven’t made one in a while, while a few people are enthusiastic about trying soufflés for the first time. So I’m going ahead with this challenge. Yay! Go on, here’s my soufflé pinterest board for more inspiration. I quote Julia Child:
This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!
So be brave! Why not? At worst your soufflés will fall a bit, and they’re supposed to eventually. It’s very likely they’ll be delicious, puff up and you’ll be dancing around your kitchen. Seize the day and whisk, make a soufflé!!! 🙂
How to enter this challenge
This is an informal ‘cosy’ challenge. 🙂 On Thursday 6th August I’ll publish Our challenge soufflés post.
BLOGGERS: could you please publish your soufflé post on August 6th (or within a few days later) with or without a recipe, and link it to my August 6th post so we can all visit each other and read about each others’ soufflé experiences like last time with our tres leches challenge cakes. I’ll do a round-up as we go along and this time add your creations to my Soufflés Pinterest board. Of course you’re free to take your soufflé to any other linky parties or challenges and if you can include this image on your post that’s great, but you don’t have to.
NON-BLOGGERS can post a photo and comments on liliscakes facebook page or send them directly to liliscakes@liliscakes.com.
So farewell sweet reader! Oh, must offer you a little soufflé before I’m off.
Have some cherry and almond soufflé!
Have a lovely week on a little cloud of happiness or putting together something light and fluffy! Happy baking and eating (of course)! 🙂 x
lili's cakes 
Maybe I will be brave and try this! 😊
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That would be great Natascha!! Really hope you do and I look forward to seeing your soufflé! 🙂 Yes, be brave! 🙂 But I bet you find soufflés pretty easy!
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Never tried it! Well the challenge has been set and will get to work! Thanks a million for the invitation and encouragement.. 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘🌹
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You’re very welcome Natascha! I’m so pleased and excited about seeing yours and everyone else’s soufflés! Thank you for joining in with such lovely enthusiasm and rolling up your sleeves so quickly! Yay! 🙂 xxx
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You rock, Lili! Xxxxx
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Shucks… you’re very sweet Natascha – and brave! 🙂 xxx
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Thinking about doing this one Lili! Your souffles look delicious!
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That’s great Deborah! And thank you, yes I really enjoyed testing out all the soufflés and I think you will too! 🙂 Hope you make one and I can’t wait to see it! 🙂
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I love the: “be brave and try this” because something about souffles seems rather terrifying! But you are right, what’s the big deal – they either work, or don’t! haha Yours look amazing, by the way!
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Yes, it took me a while to get round to making soufflés but they’re surprisingly easy! I think there have been too many exaggerated soufflés flops in cartoons! 🙂 Hope you’ll be inspired too – sounds like you’ve already got the right relaxed approach to it! And thank you – glad you like my soufflés! 🙂
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Yes, you are right – like the urban myth of baking! haha
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Such a great combination! Looks wonderful! 🙂
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Thank you Ronit! Yes, it was pretty yummy! 🙂
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There is no greater culinary satisfaction than seeing your souffle rise. The one with the even rise must have been the hero of the day. Rising so majestically it must have prided😎 over the lopsided ones 😲
Lovely pics👍
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That’s so true – watching soufflés rise is so exciting!! Yes, some were more majestic than others but they all got their comedown (hee hee) and tasted equally delicious, even the poor lopsided ones! 🙂 Actually some that rose more fell more!!! Such is the life of a soufflé… Glad you like the pics and thank you Ana! 🙂 P.S. Come make a soufflé with us! 🙂
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Souffle Life Lessons lol 😉 What goes up has to come down. I would love to join your souffle party. A bit apprehensive though.
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🙂 Exactly .. Newtons. And I’m sure you can do it Ana… it’s going to be fun at the soufflé party (thank you – sounds nicer than challenge actually). x
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I will try my best Lili 👍☺August 6 is the day right?
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That’s great! And yes, August 6. Have fun with your soufflés! 🙂
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Beatiful Lili! I love cherries. I recently explained in my french class how to make a chocolate soufflé with a power point presentation, but I have never made one hahaha It was homework: to visit a french restaurant, eat and explain a recipe of what you have eaten. Althought I tasted 3 dishes, I found a youtube video of how to make the chocolate souffle, so I have chosen that recipe to explain it. Now, I will try to do it for real. Wish me luck!
Have a great week!
Marianne
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Thank you Marianne! I would love to see your soufflé powerpoint presentation (I love the homework you’re getting!) and am so pleased you’re making a real chocolate soufflé now! That’s great! I look forward to seeing it and I’m sure it’ll come out great (you’ve already studied the theory) but of course I’ll wish you good luck! 🙂 Have a lovely week too! 🙂 Lili x
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Oh my Lili, I’ve fallen behind with all the delectable treats on your blog! I love the sound of this souffle… I’m thinking I will try a rhubarb adaptation of this one for the challenge! 😀 Looking forwards to seeing all the souffles! xx
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Hello again Laurie and thank you for all your kind comments! 🙂 Oooh, looking forward to seeing your rhubarb soufflé and all the others too! I might get working on a new soufflé … as I do love them. Maybe another savoury one or a glacé one, but are iced soufflés real soufflés I wonder… ? Going over to see your latest post now that I glimpsed earlier. Have a lovely week! 🙂 x
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I had to look up iced souffles as I was getting a bit confused…I was certain that it meant a souffle with some sort of icing on top. Now I understand the reason for the real/fake souffle debate…though iced souffles look so delicious I don’t really mind 🙂
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Good point! It’s deliciousness that counts in the end… 🙂 Though now I’m torn between iced soufflé and another savoury one. Maybe I should do both! 🙂
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I’d love to see what you come up with!
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Looking forward to seeing yours and everyone else’s too! 🙂 soon..
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