Ready to show off? Here is a beautiful dessert to serve. Spring, Summer, even in the middle of December. So luscious.
It will serve 10 – makes a super dessert for company and you might have one or two leftover for your dinner the next day.
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 7 1/2 tbsp. berry sugar, divided
- pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp. butter (not margarine)
- 2/3 cup sifted flour
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1/4 cup Chambord or creme de cassis (okay, sip for you-now keep going)
- 1 3/4 cups of raspberries/blackberries mixed
- icing sugar
- a simple vanilla sauce or your own raspberry/blackberry sauce, chilled
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 10 ramekins (3/4 cup size) and dust with sugar.
Bring the milk, 2 1/2 tbsp. of sugar and the salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly to melt the sugar. Remove from the heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and add the flour, stirring for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk/cream and cook on low heat until it thickens and begins to boil. You must whisk this until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks and Chambord. Transfer to a large bowl.
In your electric mixer beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually add the remaining 5 tbsp. of sugar, beating until soft peak form. Fold the egg whites and 1 cup of the berries into the milk mixture. Divide the remaining 3/4 cups of berries into the prepared ramekins and spoon the souffle mixture over the top. Place the ramekins in a large roasting pan, adding enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake until puffed and gently set in the middle. (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven, sprinkle with icing sugar and, using small individual bowls/boats, place the sauce on the side. Serve immediately.
Sooooo delicious.
Ramekin Puffed Potatoes
Potatoes can be prepared in a million different ways, that’s for sure. Guess what? Here is one more. This is a classy presentation.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes (Yukon Gold is best)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tsp. finely crushed fennel seed
- salt to taste
- softened butter
- 1/4 cup panko crumbs
Peel potatoes and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes). Mash the potatoes and place in a mixer and mix until smooth.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, fennel seed, pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir into the potatoes until well blended.
Butter generously eight ramekin dishes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and shake off the excess. Spoon the potato mixture equally in the dishes and smooth off the tops. Now for some quirky reason let this stand for 30 minutes before putting into oven.
Bake these for 30 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.
When you prepare your dinner with that extra touch, you elevate the dinner to a higher level. You feel good when everyone raves about it and you say, often now, “damn I DID this”.
