Mini Lemonade Souffles (Delicious Summer Dessert!)
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I always love when I have posts that are literally about making lemonade, or lemonade souffles as is the case today. I’ve been craving them ever since I saw them in the pages of a cooking magazine (tucked inside little lemons, so cute!) so I asked my friend Colleen (appropriately enough, from the blog Souffle Bombay) to show us how it’s done and she delivered with this delicious recipe for mini lemonade souffles.
These lemon souffles are light, delicately delicious and perfect for Mother’s Day or a special occasion. If you make these for someone you love… they are going to appreciate it!
You do need to focus on what you are doing the first couple of times you make a souffle but they are worth it. Tip for your best chance of success if you are a first-time souffle maker: read the instructions through a couple of times before you begin making them. You really will be standing or squatting at your oven the last few minutes biting your nails hoping all is OK. Do not open the oven, instead turn on the oven light and watch them rise. The last few minutes are the key!
Mini Lemonade Souffles
These light as air lemon souffles are a delicious addition to your summer or special occasion menu!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 5 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest finely grated
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar more for dusting
- 5 large egg whites
- Optional: Fresh whipped cream and/or berries as a topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat six 8 ounce (or twelve 4 ounce) ramekins with the butter using your fingertips. Dust ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, rolling it around the sides and emptying the excess out (or right into the next ramekin).
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet in the refrigerator. Separate eggs. Chill your egg whites until ready to use.
- Bring the milk to a boil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of sugar together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the flour. Whisk 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture until blended. Continue mixing the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all the milk is incorporated.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly over medium-low heat until thickened (about 2 minutes). I found that taking it off the heat every few seconds was best for my stove. You do not want clumps to form. If they begin to form, remove from heat and whisk vigorously to smooth it out. If you can not, start over (if this happens, it meant the heat was too high).
- Remove the custard from the heat. Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Whisk the lemon mixture into the custard until smooth.
- Beat the egg whites on high speed until they reach soft peaks stage. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the egg whites and beat until stiff and shiny.
- Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the custard until the whites disappear. Fold in the remaining egg whites until just blended – don’t over blend or you’ll deflate the egg whites and the batter will turn soupy.
- Spoon the batter into the ramekins. Fill the ramekins to just the top, level the tops with a knife (like you would a cup of flour...one quick scrape). Use your finger to go around the perimeter of each ramekin to both clean the edges and to "edge" the batter from the rim.
- Reduce the oven to 375°F and immediately place your ramekins into the oven on a baking sheet. Bake until puffed and the tops turn golden brown, about 12-14 minutes for the 8 oz ramekins and 11-12 for the smaller ones. They should still be wobbly when you take them out of the oven.
- Give them a liberal dusting of powdered sugar and you are good to go! You can also choose to serve them with fresh whipped cream and berries on the side.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times
Notes:
- The souffles are slightly sweet. For sweeter souffles add an extra TBS of granulated sugar to the yolk mixture.
- The souffles will begin to deflate minutes after removed from the oven, especially if you bring them outside into cooler weather than your kitchen. Serve immediately!
Making souffles does take focus, especially the first few times you make them. However, they are a perfect summer treat– light, fluffy, and delicious so it’s well worth the extra patience it takes to make them!
PS- if you’re making this recipe, these are my favorite white ramekins. We use them all the time– the kids love when I serve ‘appetizers’ (ie, fruit salad or mandarin orange slices) in them. We use them for pudding, ranch or honey mustard dips, and portions of nuts or trail mix, too. They make everyday food look ‘fancy’, which is Mom Trick #783 to get kids to eat it.
Have you attempted a souffle yet? Any helpful hints?
