If you have never tried to make a soufflé before, this is the recipe for you.  Known for being difficult to master, soufflés rise when placed in the oven and fall shortly after being removed.  Impeccable timing is paramount, but the reward of your hard work is a perfect end to any meal.

Warm Banana Soufflé

Yield: 2-3 individual servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 ramekins (reserving the 3rd ramekin for overflow)
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 large, ripe banana
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar (plus more for dusting)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Set racks: you’ll be baking these in the lower 1/3 of your oven
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash 1 large, ripe banana with a fork. Add 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime (or lemon) juice and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; blend thoroughly and set aside
3. In a clean, chilled bowl using an electric mixer, whip 2 chilled egg whites to a soft peak stage. Gradually add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar and continue whipping egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form
4. Working in thirds, gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the mashed banana until combined. Spoon soufflé mixture into ramekins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, dividing mixture evenly. (While some recipes suggest filling the ramekins just short of the top, I suggest filling the ramekins right to the top)
5. Set filled ramekins on a cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan) lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up, and place in lower third of a preheated 450° F oven with upper rack removed (which gives soufflés room to rise). Turn on the oven’s interior light and keep a close eye on your soufflés. Resist the temptation to open the door during baking (to do so would risk the soufflés falling prematurely)
6. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes. Trust your instincts and judge how done it is by how much it rises and if it has browned evenly on the top, in addition to baking time
7. When soufflés are properly cooked, remove from oven and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Using a non-slip hot pad or thick, textured kitchen towel, remove ramekins to individual plates and serve immediately

My Missouri Kitchen recommends, if you feel your soufflés are browning too fast or beginning to burn, turn the heat down to 425° or even 400° F. Crack the oven door ever-so-slightly if you must, but only during the final minutes of baking. Allowing a rush of cool air in before the soufflés are properly set can contribute to premature falling. Only a few minutes of baking time determine a soufflé being set to perfection, underdone or over baked. Gently cooked with a light, almost creamy center, a baked Warm Banana Soufflé should be delicate, moist and airy.

Source: My Missouri Kitchen

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