Passion Fruit Souffles

These light, delicate soufflés have a superb flavour and make a very elegant dessert. Serve them as soon as they come out of the oven, without delay, as they will quickly start to subside. They’re surprisingly easy to make.

Makes 6 Prep 40 minutes Bake 10 – 12 minutes

Ingredients

• Melted unsalted butter for greasing

• 140g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

• 6 medium egg whites and 2 egg yolks

• 300ml passion fruit juice (sieved from 20 – 25 fruits, or good quality passion fruit juice / smoothie from a carton)

• Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Heat your oven 220°C. Brush 6 deep ramekins with melted butter and dust with caster sugar.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand-held whisk, whisk the 2 egg yolks with 70g of the sugar for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick and holds a trail when the beaters are lifted.

3. In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining 70g sugar.

4. Add 60ml of the passion fruit juice to the egg yolk mixture and mix well. Stir one-third of the whisked whites into the yolk mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

5. Fill the ramekins almost to the top with the soufflé mixture and run your finger around the edge to lift the mixture away from the side slightly (this helps it to rise evenly). Bake 10 – 12 minutes until well risen and golden on top.

6. Immediately dust the soufflés with icing sugar and serve. Use the remaining passion fruit juice as a sauce – I like to break into soufflé with a spoon and pour the passion fruit juice inside.

Taken from Paul Hollywood’s How To Bake, published by Bloomsbury

Photograph © Peter Cassidy