bacon brown sugar souffle

oh yeah, this is as decadent as it gets. we wanted to experiment with the tasty combo of sweet and savory. and what better way to do that than with the classic souffle. yes, we know that making souffles can be intimidating at times, but it shouldn’t stop you from trying. so go ahead, give it a whirl. you’ll be amazed at the smoky, sweet, and salty flavor integration.

serves 2

heavy cream 75 ml
milk 50 ml
bacon 2 strips
eggs 2
brown sugar 2 tbsp
flour 1 1/2 tsp
cornstarch 3/4 tsp
white sugar for coating the ramekins 1 tbsp
butter, for greasing ramekins

preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)
butter inside of ramekins
pour the white sugar inside the ramekins and roll the ramekins to get the inside evenly coated with sugar, pour out the extra sugar
place ramekins in the fridge
pan fry the bacon till crispy, then cut into tiny pieces, set aside

making the custard

separate the egg yolks from the egg whites into two bowls (save the egg whites for the meringue)
add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, the flour, and the cornstarch to the egg yolks, whip until everything is completely dissolved
in a pot, combine the milk and cream and bring to a quick boil only
slowly drizzle the warmed dairy to the bowl of egg yolks, while mixing at the same time
transfer entire mixture back into the pot
heat mixture on medium heat and whisk continuously until thicken, but still moist, like wet dough
set aside

making the meringue

use a stand mixer (or hand mixer) to whip the egg whites, use highest setting
while egg whites are being whipped, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, a little at a time
meringue is done when volume has increased substantially and looks like fluffy white snow. you can see peaks at the tip of the mixer, about 2-3 min

combining the two

add the bacon bits to the custard, mix well
pour 1/3 of the meringue into the custard, beat violently
pour the other 2/3 and fold gently, do not over mix

baking

remove the cooled ramekins from the fridge
scoop the mixture into the ramekins halfway
pound the ramekins on the counter several times to settle the mixture evenly, use a towel underneath
scoop the remaining mixture to fill the ramekins, up to the brim
smooth the top with a knife or a flat surface
use your thumb and sweep around the top rim of the ramekins, leaving a tiny gully or trench
place the ramekins in the oven and bake for 10-11 min