Tuesday Treat

Banana Soufflés with Caramel Sauce (Serves 6)

Oh my, these are good!.. They are soft, fluffy and fruity; a super light dessert which will impress everyone. Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult to make, but believe me when I say that these are super easy. The soufflé mix can be made up to two hours in advance, just keep chilled in the ramekins and bake straight from the fridge. Meanwhile, the caramel sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance; keep chilled and reheat gently to serve.

*It’s important to get the size of the ramekins right to make sure that they rise up – I used ramekins with a 200ml capacity (9cm diameter) and they rose up perfectly.

20g butter, softened for coating the ramekins

100g caster sugar, plus extra for coating

75ml whole milk

2 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 large ripe banana, about 100g

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Icing sugar, for dusting

For the caramel sauce:

20g dark muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

25g butter

150ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180’c fan and put a baking tray in the oven.
2. Grease 6 ramekins (see note above) with butter and evenly coat the base and sides with a little sugar.
3. Heat the milk until it’s just at a simmer then remove from the heat. Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks and 50g of the caster sugar together until pale, then whisk in the cornflour. Now, gradually whisk in the warm milk.
4. Place the banana and vanilla bean paste in a food processor or blender and whizz until very smooth. Stir into the milk mixture.
5. Using clean beaters, whisk the 2 egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking until shiny.
6. Use a metal spoon to fold the banana mixture into the egg whites, a quarter at a time, until blended and mousse-like.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Place on the hot baking tray and bake in the preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce. Place the sugar, butter and syrup in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until smooth. Bring to a simmer then stir in the cream and cook gently for a further 2 minutes.
9. Remove the soufflés from the oven dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with the warm sauce – it’s a good idea to make sure your guests are seated at the table so you can serve them the moment they come out of the oven so that everyone can appreciate them in their full ‘risen’ glory!