The Moulding of Large and Small Iced Soufflés

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •One straight-sided 1-quart (1 L) Soufflé timbale or six 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins or cassolettes
• •Parchment paper with kitchen twine or tape
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Digital sugar thermometer
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Rimmed sheet pan

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the collars

   Clear a level freezer shelf and set the freezer to 0°F (-18°C) or colder. Choose one straight-sided 1-quart (1 L) Soufflé timbale, or six 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins or cassolettes. Cut parchment bands long enough to overlap around each vessel and wide enough to stand 1 1/2 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) above the rim. Brush the upper outside wall and the paper overlap sparingly with melted butter, wrap the collar tightly, and secure it outside with kitchen twine or tape. The paper must stand perfectly straight, because it creates the apparent rise. If it slips, bind it with a second strip rather than adding more butter.

2. 2

   Cook the sugar

   Put the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C). If crystals gather around the pan, cover it for one minute so condensation washes them down, then uncover and continue. If the syrup turns grainy, lower the heat until it dissolves again before returning it to the boil. Ça se rattrape, but don't carry crystallized sugar into the yolks.

3. 3

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   While the syrup cooks, beat the yolks with the vanilla seeds and salt until pale and slightly thickened. With the mixer running at medium speed, pour the hot syrup in a fine stream down the inside of the bowl, safely clear of the whisk. Increase the speed and beat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is voluminous, holds a thick ribbon, and the bowl no longer feels warm. If a few cooked flecks appear, press the mixture through a fine sieve immediately and resume beating. A warm base will melt the cream, so cool it completely before folding.

4. 4

   Whip the cream

   Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 29 g) of the cold cream, then whip the remainder in a chilled bowl until it forms soft peaks whose tips bend over. Stop there. Stiff cream folds badly and leaves the Soufflé heavy; if it turns grainy, whisk in the reserved liquid cream by hand until the texture becomes smooth and softly billowing again.

5. 5

   Fold and mould

   Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the remainder in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain. Spoon the mixture into the prepared timbale or cassolettes, carrying it 1 1/2 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) above the true rim, and level the crown gently. If a collar bows or leans, straighten and retie it now, before the mixture begins to set.

6. 6

   Freeze without delay

   Set the moulds on a level sheet pan and move them straight into the coldest part of the freezer. Freeze the small Soufflés for at least 5 hours and the large one for at least 8 hours. Once the surface is firm, cover without letting wrapping touch the crown. Immediate, deep freezing keeps the air cells fine; a slow freeze makes the mousse coarse and icy.

7. 7

   Release and serve

   Chill the serving platter or individual plates for 20 minutes. Take the Soufflé from the freezer and peel the collar slowly away from the frozen sides. If the paper clings, touch only its outside with a warm, damp cloth for one or two seconds, then continue peeling. Set a large timbale on the chilled platter or place each cassolette on its own plate and serve at once. The carved ice and folded napkin of grand service were scaffolding; the cold platter does the honest work at home. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a straight-sided vessel. A bowl that flares outward won't support a clean paper extension, and the frozen crown will look pinched where it meets the rim.
• •Test the freezer with a thermometer if frozen desserts tend to stay soft. The paper can only reveal a clean crown when the mousse is frozen firmly from edge to centre.
• •The vanilla filling is deliberately quiet because this entry teaches the mould. Once the technique is yours, the preparation can carry coffee, chocolate, fruit purée, praline, or a restrained measure of liqueur, but additional alcohol softens the freeze and requires more time in the cold.
• •Use pasteurized yolks. Hot syrup stabilizes and warms the pâte à bombe, but it doesn't give the same certainty as starting with pasteurized eggs.
• •Save the scraped vanilla pod for a jar of sugar. It has finished its work here, but not its life.

Advance Preparation

• •The collars can be cut, buttered, and fitted a day ahead. Keep the prepared vessels chilled so everything is ready when the mousse has been folded.
• •Freeze the finished Soufflé up to 3 days ahead. Once its crown is firm, cover it without touching the surface and leave the collar in place until the moment of service.
• •Chill the platter or individual plates shortly before serving. The cold surface replaces the carved block of ice and keeps the released crown neat at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 123g)