Pumpkin Coconut Souffle
When Starbucks takes its Pumpkin Spice Latte off of the menu, I know the holidays are over. There’s a twinge of sadness in the air as the perfume of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg vaporizes into the winter months ahead. Time to start wearing my Apothia Gingerbread Spice Musk to perk up my spirits. I’ll also be simmering back-to-back batches of fresh Maple Pumpkin Butter — just for the whiff of it.
Why relegate pumpkin to the fleeting weeks of winter feasts? Cans of luscious purée are on supermarket shelves all year…and, with the twist of a can opener, the richly flavorful, vitamin-packed squash is at your service. A soufflé is my favorite guilt-free way to indulge in dessert. For this impressive yet painless dish, you need only master the art of egg separating: starting with a cold egg, whack it once on a flat surface so as not to fracture the shell, then gently rock the egg in your hand until the white drops away. These soufflés are as light as fluff, and the sweet spices sing under a scoop of vanilla ice cream, stewed figs or cherries, and chocolate sauce.
Makes 8
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup sugar, plus additional for coating ramekins
8 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
1 cup coconut milk (light is fine)
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare eight 1/2-cup ramekins by brushing them with 2 tablespoons melted butter and coating them with sugar.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, pumpkin, flour, spices, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a simmer. Slowly pour in the pumpkin mixture, whisking constantly until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside to cool.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding the remaining sugar and whisking until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, stir a third of the whites into the pumpkin mixture to aerate it, and then gently fold in the pumpkin mixture to the remaining whites.
5. Pour into the prepared ramekins, filling to the top. Use a knife to level off the soufflés. Using your index finger, run an indent along the inside rim of each ramekin to allow the soufflés to rise properly.
6. Bake on a baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven until the soufflés rise and are golden on the tops, 17-20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with a pinch of toasted coconut. Serve immediately.
For a refreshingly tart variation, try Lemon Coconut Soufflés: substitute 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest for the pumpkin and spices, whisking them in with the butter in step 3. Let me know what you think!
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