Baked Nectarine, Strawberry and Pimms Souffé

Serves 6

Preparation Time:  15 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

I love making soufflés, they can be part prepared and then the final whisking and folding of egg whites into the pre-prepared batter needs to be done whilst the main course is being served and then put straight into a pre-heated oven and then, ideally, brought straight to the table as soon as the buzzer goes!   

You can, of course, make this Soufflé without the addition of alcohol

Soufflés look amazing and generally taste fabulous.   

They compliment a fruit base and therefore a light course to end a meal, especially when entertaining.

Ingredients

• 400g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 4 firm, but reasonably ripe nectarines (or peaches), cut into segments with stone removed
  
• 4 -8 tablespoons Pimms (optional)
• 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar, or Demerara
• 3 large eggs, separate the yolks from the whites
  
• 300 ml double cream
  
• ¼ cup self raising flour (or use Almond flour + teaspoon of baking powder)
  
• ¼ cup of golden caster sugar (or use Maple Syrup)
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  
• Icing sugar for dusting

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....

1.  Preheat the oven to 360˚C.
   
   
2. Butter an oven proof dish, which should be reasonably shallow.
   
   
3. Cut the strawberries, if big ones, in half and slice nectarines/peaches into segments and place into the dish.
   
   
4. Now pour a dribble of Pimms (4 -6 tablespoons) over fruit, but not too much or there will be too much juice at the base of the pudding when cooked.
   
   
5. Sprinkle some brown sugar over the Pimms soaked fruit.
   
   
6. Mix the egg yolks with the cream, sugar, vanilla and flour and whisk until completely smooth.  At this stage, for added flavour, you can add about three tablespoons of Pimms into this mixture, stirring well.  You can put a cloth over this mixture and leave it to stand for an hour or two so as to minimise preparation if entertaining.
   
   
7. Whip the egg whites until fairly stiff, then quickly whip up the batter and carefully stir the stiff egg whites with a metal spoon into the egg mixture, then pour this over the fruit into the buttered dish.
   
   
8. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 mins checking that it is not burning, but nicely set and golden around the top.  Test with a clean dry knife and if it comes out too wet, cover the pudding with foil and cook for a little longer, but it needs to be a little bit runny in the centre.
   
   
9. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with lashings of double cream, plus extra strawberries if you have any left!