“The only thing that will make a soufflé fall is if it knows you’re afraid of it.”

– James Beard.

Yippee! Meyer lemons are back in season and my lovely friend brought me some from her tree. First I thought to make some classic lemon bars, but I tinkered too much with my original recipe trying to make a new crust. When those didn’t work out, I decided on these beautiful soufflés instead.

Soufflés can be scary and goodness knows, I’ve had a number of them collapse on me. Happily, there are some things you can do to ensure that doesn’t happen. Keep in mind, though, some sinking is inevitable when these lovelies come out of the oven.

The Steps

• Butter and sugar six-ounce ramekins. Tip: Brushing upwards on the insides of the ramekins with the butter will help direct the soufflés to rise up.
• Preheat the oven. Tip: Place a rimmed baking sheet inside to preheat as well. This will help with a fast rise once the soufflés are in.
• Separate your eggs.
• Make the lemon curd.
• Whip your egg whites. Tip #1: Adding a bit of cream of tartar at the egg foam stage will help your eggs both stabilize and increase in volume. Tip #2: Add the sugar once soft peaks form and whip to the firm peak stage.
• Fold the egg whites into the lemon curd. Tip: Move quickly but be gentle. Under-mixing is better than over-mixing.
• Fill ramekins to the top and smooth out with a spoon or level with a knife.
• Bake on the pre-heated baking sheet until risen and the tops and edges are golden brown.

Reality Bakes

I got a lovely rise, which you can see in the oven shot above, but a bit of sinking once the soufflés had been out in the cold air for about fifteen minutes. (It’s cold and raining here today.) I was hustling to get good photos while they were still super puffy.

Looking for more Meyer lemon recipes? Try these delicious custard cakes, or these Meyer lemon and blood orange muffins.

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Meyer Lemon Soufflés

Delicate, airy and delicious – indulging in these Meyer lemon soufflés is like eating a lemon cloud.

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Jen Leigh

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more to coat ramekins
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more to coat ramekins
• 6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 3 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Instructions

• Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375° F. Brush 8 six-ounce ramekins with softened butter and dust the bottoms and sides with granulated sugar. Set aside.
• Fill a large saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer. You’ll be using this as a double boiler for the lemon curd.
• In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and whisk again until smooth. Place the bowl over the simmering water and constantly whisk the mixture as it thickens. When thick enough to coat a spoon, remove from heat and strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Add the softened butter and stir until butter is completely melted and incorporated. Set curd aside.
• In a clean mixing bowl, start whisking the egg whites. When eggs are foaming, add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar and whip into firm peaks.
• Stir 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the lemon curd until incorporated. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined. Move quickly and be careful to not knock out too much air. It’s better to under-mix than over-mix here.
• Evenly divide the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling to the top. Run a knife across the tops, or smooth with the back of a spoon.
• Place ramekins on pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until risen and tops and edges are golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar. (Soufflés will most likely sink at least a little once out of the oven.) Serve immediately.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword meringue, Meyer lemons, souffles