A soufflé can be one of those dishes that we shy away from, but it truly isn’t that difficult and the finished result is delicious, no matter how high the soufflé has risen.

Ingredients

• 2 vanilla pods
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 7 egg yolks
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 6 tblsp flour
• 8 egg whites, at room temperature
• icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Grease and dust with sugar 6 x 10cm round ramekins or soufflé dishes.
2. Slice the vanilla pods lengthwise, but without cutting in half, fold open and scoop the seeds into the milk and add the vanilla essence. Heat the milk until it reaches scalding point (just below boiling).
3. Beat the egg yolks and ¼ cup of the sugar together until the mixture is thick and pale. This is called ribbon consistency as you can lift the beaters from the mixture and draw the figure eight and still see its imprint when you have finished drawing. Beat in the flour.
4. Gradually stir in the hot milk and place in the top of a double boiler or heat-proof bowl and cook over a saucepan of simmering water for about 3-4 minutes, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Set aside for about 10 minutes too cool.
5. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites with the remaining ½ cup of sugar until you obtain a soft meringue consistency. Do not over beat, as the soufflé will not rise as high.
6. Stir one third of the meringue mixture into the custard with the whisk. Fold the remaining egg whites in with a holed spoon. Transfer the mixture to the prepared soufflé dishes making the mixture level with the top. Use a knife or thin spatula to cut around the inside of the dish – this will ensure the soufflé rises straight up in and does not grip to the sides of the dish.
7. Place the dishes on a pre-heated oven tray and bake at 200°C for 8-9 minutes. The soufflés should still be moist and slightly unset in the centre. This acts as a sauce for the soufflé. Serve immediately on cooking, dusted only with icing sugar.