Pumpkin Souffles

Have you ever made a souffle? They sound so intimidating and many find them scary, but they are not complicated. They look fancy and are oh so good! This recipe is not difficult. The hardest part is separating the eggs and tempering the yolks. Both of these steps are not hard and I’ll walk you through them step by step in the directions. These souffles really are my favorite recipe I have developed all year.

I plan the recipes I make for TV and the website months in advance. This week I wrote on my calendar pumpkin souffles. In the past I have made pumpkin pie with a little less sugar in ramekins and my kids would eat them for breakfast. They are yummy, but last week I got the crazy idea to make a real souffle. The kind where you make a base and whip the egg whites then combine them together and bake to lofty perfection.

I set out to test the recipe. I have a very specific method that I follow when recipe testing because I want to make sure it will work in your home. I did a trial run and they turned out amazing! Light and fluffy with the flavor of pumpkin and warm spices. Then I tested freezing them ahead. My Chocolate Orange Souffles can be made ahead and frozen making them the perfect fancy dessert for a dinner party. Guess what? These Pumpkin Souffles can be made ahead too!

I am in dessert heaven. A light and fluffy souffle full of pumpkin and spice, is not too sweet, and can be made ahead is my idea of dessert perfection. Be brave and try these soon. Then you can brag that you have made a souffle!

Pumpkin Souffles

5 Eggs, separated

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

4 Tablespoons Sugar, (Divided)

1-2 teaspoons Butter

1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Powdered Sugar for Dusting (Optional)

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Separate the eggs. When you separate the eggs it is best to use 3 bowls. Use a small bowl to separate the egg, a medium bowl to hold the yolks and a large bowl to hold the whites. Separate the eggs one at a time and move the yolks and whites to their bowls as you go.

Mix the cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice with the egg yolks and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the pumpkin, milk, salt, and brown sugar to a gentle simmer. Add 1/4 cup of the hot milk and pumpkin mixture to the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Continue to add the hot milk and pumpkin to the egg yolks 1/4 cup at a time and stir to combine before adding more hot liquid. Once all the milk and pumpkin has been added to the yolks, stir well and let the mixture cool to room temperature. (I like to put it in the refrigerator to make the cooling go a little faster.)

Meanwhile, butter your ramekins. If you have 6 oz ramekins you will need 8 and if you have 8 oz ramekins you will need a total of 6. Butter the insides well and then coat the insides using 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar. Gently shake off any excess sugar and set the ramekins aside.

While the egg yolk mixture continues to cool, add the cream of tartar and beat on high with an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Once the egg whites are foamy, slowly add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

When the yolk mixture has cooled to room temperature, gently fold in the egg whites. I like to add 1/3 of the beaten whites and gently mix with the yolks to lighten the batter. Then, add the rest of the whites and fold until mixed together. A few small streaks of whites are fine.

Add the batter to the ramekins, filling gently to the top. Place the filled ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and then place on the middle oven rack and bake for 15 minutes until they are puffed up and the tops begin to brown.

*****Note***** Once the ramekins are filled you can also place them in a 9×13 pan and cover with plastic wrap and freeze up to 5 days. To bake frozen souffles, remove the plastic wrap and place the frozen souffles on a rimmed baking sheet. Immediately place the frozen souffles in a pre-heated oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-23 minutes.

Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately before the souffles begin to fall.