Grand Marnier Souffle
Complex, Sweet, Faintly Orange and Beautiful
- Servings: 6 to 8.
Soufflés are surprisingly easy to make and this recipe for a sweet dessert soufflé will be the center drama of any dinner party. You can make the base a couple of hours in advance, but for the best result you should beat the egg whites and assemble the soufflé just before baking. And serving it immediately out of the oven is essential for the best flavor and a dramatic entrance. For this reason, try to plan the rest of your menu and the making of the meal so that you can return to the kitchen to do the final mixing, assembling and baking.
Grand Marnier is a French orange-flavored liqueur, similar to triple sec, that is a mix of Cognac and bitter orange with a sweet-but-not-cloying fragrance and taste. This classic flavor for a dessert soufflé is splendid on its own or you can pass a bowl of whipped cream, vanilla custard sauce, or even some vanilla ice cream that's been melted into a sauce. Use two teaspoons to open a hole in the center of each and pour a little cream or sauce into the soufflé as the steam rises above the surface. Sublime!
Make sure you do not skip the step of preparing the soufflé dish by lining it with a thin layer of butter and a dusting of sugar as this is essential if the mixture is going to rise up the straight sides of the baking dish.
See our article, How To Make A Soufflé, for general guidance and helpful tips for making this unfairly intimidating classic recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter plus extra to prepare the soufflé dish
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons sugar plus extra to dust the soufflé dish
- 5 egg yolks from large eggs
- 5 tablespoons Grand Marnier
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 egg whites from large eggs
- Optional: confectioners sugar for dusting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Make sure the oven is at this temperature because if it is cooler, the soufflé will not completely rise.
- Prepare a 2-quart soufflé dish (approximately 8" x 4") by coating the bottom and sides with butter and dust with sugar, shaking out any excess. Hold aside in a cool place or refrigerate until ready to fill.
- In a large saucepan on low heat or in the top of a double boiler, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until blended. Do not let it darken.
- Keeping the heat low, add the cream and sugar stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.
- In a separate small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and Grand Marnier. Add this to the cooked mixture and combine completely. Scrape this mixture into a large mixing bowl. If you're not going to assemble the soufflé immediately, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface so to prevent it from developing a skin. Otherwise it can sit for a few minutes while you whip the egg whites.
- In a large stainless steel bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, first at a lower speed until the whites become frothy, and then at a high speed until shiny, firm peaks form. But be careful to not over-beat or the whites will become stiff and dry.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the egg whites to the cooled Grand Marnier mixture so that it is completely combined; fold in the remaining egg whites until just a few streaks remain. Do not over-mix. It will be loose and fairly liquid.
- Gently transfer the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish, filling the dish to about 3/4 full, leaving room below the rim. Place the dish on a large rimmed sheet pan or cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until it has risen and the surface is golden brown. Test for doneness by giving the soufflé a very gentle shake; if the top still jiggles, cook for another 1-2 minutes until it is completely stable and the surface is puffed and dry.
- Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.
If you decide to make individual servings in ramekins, prepare the ramekins in the same fashion by buttering and dusting with sugar and cook for approximately 5 minutes less time.
