Caxton magazines staff
These sweet treats from SASKO make for easy entertaining over the Easter break
INGREDIENTS
For the salted caramel
- 1 cup castor sugar
- 130g butter
- ½ cup cream
- 2 pinches of flaked sea salt (not table salt)
For the soufflé
- Castor sugar and butter for the ramekins
- 30g butter
- 30g SASKO cake flour
- 1 cup milk
- 4 extra-large eggs (at room temperature) (separated)
- ½t lemon juice
- 2T castor sugar
- 7T salted caramel
METHOD
To make the salted caramel
Place the cream and salt in a saucepan and heat together gently until the cream is warm.
Remove from the heat, do not boil.
Place the sugar into a high-sided saucepan on medium-high heat and, when it begins to melt in areas, swirl the sugar around in the saucepan to ensure that the sugar melts evenly.
Continue to swirl until the sugar has all melted and is beginning to turn golden in colour.
Be careful so as to not burn the sugar.
Continue to swirl the caramelising sugar and as soon as it has turned ‘caramel’ in colour, add the cubes of butter and swirl again until it is all incorporated.
Once the butter is incorporated, slowly pour in the cream while swirling the saucepan.
Once all the cream has been added, whisk the caramel on the heat for a further minute before removing from the heat.
Use a teaspoon to taste a little of the caramel, make sure its cooled before tasting, and if you’d like to add a little more salt at this point do so, and stir through until it’s dissolved.
To make the soufflé
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Grease 4 250ml ramekins with butter and then pour in a little castor sugar.
- Swirl butter and castor sugar around to coat the insides of each ramekin before pouring out any excess sugar (this will ensure that the soufflés rise evenly and do not stick to the ramekins after baking).
- Put the 30g butter into a large saucepan on medium heat, once it has melted add the flour.
- Stir until the flour and butter have combined and continue to cook until the flour is cooked through.
- Add the milk and whisk on the heat until the sauce is lump-free and thickened.
- Take off the heat and add 3T salted caramel and whisk to combine.
- Let it cool down to room temperature before adding the egg yolks, then whisk.
- Using electric beaters beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add the lemon juice.
- Beat for 10 seconds and then add the castor sugar, 1T at a time, beating until the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick meringue.
- Add a third of the meringue mixture to the salted caramel custard and fold through.
- Add the remaining meringue and continue to fold through (making sure to keep as much air in the mixture as possible).
- Place a tablespoonful of salted caramel into the bottom of each ramekin.
- Fill each ramekin to the brim and level out the top using a knife.
- Run your finger around the edge of each rim causing a slight indentation – this will help the soufflés rise evenly.
- Bake for 15 – 17 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve immediately with cream
This recipe makes 4 soufflés
