Pineapple Souffle

                                              Pineapple Souffle- a light and yummy desert

This desert is 'melting-in-the-mouth' light and substantial at the same time! A perfect ending to a full meal. Not difficult at all, it only needs a little of your time.

Though it can be served on it's own, some fresh/tinned fruit on the side always enhance the taste.

Ingredients- 1. Eggs-6, separated;    2. milk- 400 ml.;    3. pineapple juice, tinned- 400 ml.;    4. heavy cream ('malai' will also do)- 300 gm.;    5. Sugar, powdered- 250 gm.;    6. Pineapple essence- 11/2 tsp.;  

7. Gelatin- 5 tbsp.;    8. Chopped, tinned pineapple- 1 small tin and, a few fresh cherries for decoration.

Method- (1)- First of all, separate egg-whites and yellows. Eggs should be at room temp. Put the egg-whites in a clean and dry mixer bowl, cover and keep them aside.  (2)- Now break egg-yellows, whisk a little and add milk and 80 gm. sugar. Make a custard of this mixture in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, take two pans with one fitting on the mouth of the other. Take some water in one pan and put it on fire. Take the egg+ milk mixture in the other pan and hold it on the mouth of the lower pan and cook, stirring, till the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. It will be like a thin custard only. Take it off the heat and keep aside to cool completely. It can be cooled in a water-bath also. Add 1tsp.pineapple essence to it when it is cool. 

(3)- Take the juice in another pan and sprinkle gelatin granules over it and leave aside for a few minutes to soak.

 

In fact, this can be done before cooking the custard so that by the time the custard is cooked, your gelatin is all soaked-up and ready to be melted. Put the juice pan on slow fire, add 20 gm. sugar to it and stir gently so that gelatin and sugar both dissolve. Keep it aside to cool too. 

(4)- When both custard and juice mixture have cooled down, whip the cream lightly with 90gm. sugar and 1/2tsp. essence. Don't let it become stiff.

(5)- Pour the juice mixture over the cool custard, mix, and then tip the whipped cream in the mixture.

Now, put the whole mixture in a cool place or, preferably, in a fridge so that it starts 'setting'.

(6)- When you feel that the mixture is thickening and is about to set, it is time to beat egg-whites.

Beat egg-whites at 'medium' for thirty seconds and then at 'high' till they are nicely frothy and start stiffening. Now start adding powdered sugar, 1tbsp. at a time, while beating continuously, till stiff peaks are formed. The sugar needed here will be 60-80 gms., depending upon how sweet you want it.

Note- One golden rule, to be always applied, is- test-check each mixture separately. Sugar should be 'just right' in each. You can add more at any stage except after folding the egg-white in. 

(7)- Take-out the half-set mixture from the fridge, beat it to a thick slushy mixture, devoid of lumps and then fold-in the beaten egg-whites, by 'cut and fold' method. 

(8)- Rinse two medium-sized metal pudding bowls with water to moisten them. Let extra water drain-off and then divide the mixture equally between the two. Put both the bowls in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and then in the midle of the fridge till fully set.

(9)- Once the souffle is set, it has to be unmolded. For unmolding, heat some water in a wok or 'Kadahi'; dip the bowls one by one in the hot water for a second or two. Put the serving platter on the mouth of the bowl and turn the whole thing upside-down together. The souffle will slide onto the plate along with some melted liquid. Put the platters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes so that it again firms-up nicely.

(10)- The last step is decoration. You don't have to do anything much. I just sprinkle some fresh/ tinned fruit around. If you like elaborate decoration, you can go for whipped cream and piping bag too. But it sure looks very tempting with just fruit.

This is a 'must try' desert; simple and light.

Enjoy!