Turn Lemons Into Lemonade? Nope. Turn Lemons Into Lemon Soufflés!

Don't be overwhelmed, these are a lot easier to make then you think!

You can probably smell the lemon steaming out right now!

A long, long time a go, in a galaxy far, far away, (the 1980's!), I worked as server in a French brasserie here in Los Angeles. Most of the stuff on the menu was pretty good; an assortment of filled crepes, pates, skinny french fries and really amazing deserts. We had a pastry chef who turned out fresh cakes, tarts, creme brulees, and then there were the chocolate soufflés. Somehow there was always that "don't try this at home kids, leave the dangerous stuff to the professionals" la témérité when one of these babies came out of the kitchen; steaming hot, smelling like a chocolate cake that just came out of the oven.

A few years later, when I grew some balls, I decided to take a run at it. I pulled a recipe from Gourmet magazine (I miss it), and went for it. The results were , how can I say, fantastique. OK, enough of that, you probably didn't come here for French lessons. I was really impressed at the result; light, airy, not too sweet, with a little bit of creme anglaise (that's really what it's called!) poured down the center. Few desserts are as satisfying for a chef than a perfectly cooked soufflé.

A few years later, I'm throwing a dinner party for 12 people and decided to give it another try; this time with a lemon souffle. So, I get in the kitchen around 3:00, set up my mise en place (sorry, I'm on a roll here) and get the short ribs into the oven for a 3-hour braise (like a 3-hour tour, but that's another story that involves 7 castaways). People start to roll in around 5:00, and since I have most of the prep done, I'm just going to make the soufflé and stick them in the fridge until dinner comes out, and I'll cook them off then. Everyone is in the kitchen (way too crowded), we're drinking, we're talking, we're drinking, I'm separating eggs, we're drinking, I'm checking on the short ribs, we're drinking...well, you get the idea.

Dinner is a big hit, everyone knows what's coming out for dessert and they're chomping at the bit. I mean, when do you go to someone's house and they make souffles for 12 people? No one has ever made one for me, I'll tell you that. So I cook the soufflés, pull them out of the oven, and we have...lemon flavored sponges. They are about 1 1/2" high, soggy and massively unsatisfying. I'm still not exactly sure what I did wrong, but I have one bit of advice:

Don't drink a whole bottle of wine while there are 12 people talking to you at the same time, and then try to make 12 soufflés.

The souffles I made last night, the wife was very happy.

Needless to say, I have followed my own advice ever since and the results have been great. Let me know how these work out for you! Here are some tips to make sure your souffles turn out perfectly!

Don’t overfold: The tendency with many people is to really whip the whites into the base mixture. This is a mistake. You want to gently fold in the whites only until the point where the streaks of white disappear. Until you do this a few times, you’ll probably feel as though you’re under-mixing. Chances are: you’re not.

Use fresh room temperature eggs: Your eggs will act the way you want them to if they’re room temperature. Whipping cold eggs is harder work and you won’t get as much lift.

Level off the top of your soufflé with a knife: You don’t have to do this, but you know that magical flat top that soufflés have when you order them at restaurants? That’s achieved with the swipe of a flat knife on the top of your souffle.

Use the bottom oven rack: Generally speaking (although each oven is certainly different), the bottom oven rack is what you want to use to achieve lift. So for anything light and airy that needs rise, bake on the bottom.

Make them in advance: Did you know that you can make a soufflé ahead of time and bake them off when you’re ready? This is a great party tip — make them the day before, cover and refrigerate them and take them to room temperature before you bake them off. They can be refrigerated for up 2 to 3 days.

Lemon Soufflé For Two

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of sugar for the souffle base

2 teaspoons sugar for egg whites

Small pinch of salt

1/3 cup of whole milk

2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Zest of one lemon

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Confectioners' sugar for dusting finished soufflés

If you're planning to bake the soufflés right away, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare the ramekins by buttering them and coating with sugar, tapping out the excess sugar.

Making the soufflé base:

Place flour, 1/6 cup of sugar and salt into a small saucepan and whisk to combine.  Add about a third of the milk to make a smooth paste.  Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth again.  Over medium heat, cook this mixture for a couple of minutes until it thickens a bit.  Whisk consistently and keep a close eye on it since it will cook very quickly in such a small quantity.

Take the pan off the heat and add the butter and egg yolks, whisking again until well incorporated.  Place the pan back on the stove to cook gently until the mixture begins to boil.  Remove the cooked mixture to a medium size bowl (this is the bowl you'll use to incorporate the egg whites later) and add the lemon zest.  Let cool for about 10 minutes and then stir in the lemon juice.

Whip the egg whites:

Fit the stand mixer with the whisk attachment.  Place egg whites in the bowl and start whisking at low speed for a couple of minutes until the whites get foamy.  Turn the speed up to high and gradually add the 2 teaspoon of sugar.  Whisk until the whites form a stiff peak - that's when the tip of the whites hold the shape of a Hershey's kiss when you lift it up with the whisk. If you're really brave and have large forearms, you can do this by hand with a wisk.

Combining the two and baking:

First, fold a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the lemon soufflé base.  Add the remaining whites and fold very gently using a rubber spatula.  Cut down the middle and fold under and over while turning the bowl.  Be careful not to overfold or it will deflate the whites and the soufflé won't rise.  It's better to under-fold if you are uncertain. Place the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling to the top.  Gently smooth the tops and run your thumb around the edge of the ramekins.  This is supposed to help the soufflés rise more evenly. 

Bake for about 10 minutes in the upper part of the preheated oven.  The soufflés should be set though still a little jiggly when moved.  Remove carefully from the oven and dust with confectioners' sugar.  Serve immediately, the soufflés will begin to deflate a bit once out of the oven.

Chocolate Soufflé For Two

1/4 cup granulated sugar plus additional for dusting the dishes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

1 large egg yolk

2 large egg

whites confectioners' sugar for dusting the soufflés

Butter 2 shallow 3/4-cup gratin dishes and dust them with the additional granulated sugar, shaking out the excess.

Make the soufflé base

In a bowl blend together 2 tablespoons of the remaining granulated sugar, the flour, the cocoa powder, the butter, and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles meal. In a saucepan bring the milk to a boil. Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk with the chocolate, cook the mixture over moderate heat, whisking, for 1 minute, or until it is thickened, and let it cool. In a bowl beat the egg yolk slightly and beat in the chocolate mixture.

Whip the egg whites

In another bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff glossy peaks.

Combine the two and baking

Stir one fourth of the meringue into the chocolate pastry cream to lighten it and fold in the remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Divide the mixture between the prepared dishes, and bake the soufflés in a shallow baking pan in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 minutes, or until they are puffed. You can check to see if they are done by using a toothpick, the inside should be slightly underdone. Dust the soufflés decoratively with the confectioners' sugar and serve them immediately.