Pineapple Soufflé

Good Housekeeping’s Cookery Book, 1955 edition, United Kingdom

Pineapple Soufflé  

“Hot Soufflés: These are made from a panada mixture which is lightened by the addition of stiffly beaten egg whites. Its success depends largely on the adequate whisking of the egg whites, their very light but thorough incorporation into the mixture, and careful cooking.”

For soufflé case approx.. 15cm by 6cm

15g butter; 15g flour; 100ml milk; 3 egg yolks; 1 dstspn castor sugar; 30g chopped pineapple; 4 egg whites; pieces of angelica (or green glacé cherries)

Heat the oven to moderately hot. Prepare the soufflé dish by greasing with butter. Weigh out all ingredients carefully. Melt the butter in a fairly large pan over a low heat, and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Add the hot milk gradually and stir over the heat until it leaves the sides of the pan. Be sure it is quite smooth.

Remove from the heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in each yolk thoroughly, and blend all the ingredients so that no unmixed panada remains around the sides of the pan. Add the sugar and well drained chopped  pineapple and leave aside while preparing the egg whites.

Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth – it is essential that they should be very thoroughly whisked. Do not prepare them until just before they are required, so that the air bubbles will not break down before the eggs are incorporated with the other ingredients.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the panada mixture as lightly as possible, using a metal, not a wooden, spoon. Do not stir the mixture, as this tends to break down the air bubbles.

Cut a few pieces of angelica to form diamond-shaped leaves. Decorate the bottom of the buttered soufflé dish with these.

When thoroughly blended, pour into the soufflé dish and bake in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown, and firm in the centre. Serve at once with a sauce made from the pineapple juice.

I made a sauce by mixing 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 tblspn brown sugar and 50g butter in a saucepan over low heat for about 3 minutes. I then added 1 tblspn cornflour blended into ¼ cup cold water and stirred until it thickened, then served it hot onto the soufflés with cream. A lovely light dessert, Anne.