It seems that soufflés often get a bad rap as being a difficult dish to make. Horror stories of fallen soufflés and other culinary disasters often come to mind when considering to make this oh-so delicate French classic. Yet a soufflé is actually a very simple thing to make. It consists of very few ingredients and somehow magically transforms into a light and airy masterpiece once baked.

The word soufflé comes from the French word souffler which means "to blow up" or informally "to puff up" which is exactly what happens to the combination of custard and egg whites. Every soufflé is made from 2 basic components: 1) a base of flavored cream sauce or a puree and 2) beaten egg whites. The base provides flavor and the whites provide the "puff".

In this month’s on-line class we’d like to demonstrate how truly simple it is to make a soufflé, whether savory or sweet and hopefully demystify and perhaps make it not such a scary dish to make!

Whether you are making a sweet or savory soufflé the basic steps are essentially the same. It really can all be boiled down to 7 simple steps.

7 Simple Steps to a Great Soufflé:

Step 1: Preheat the oven
Step 2: Butter the soufflé dish or ramekins.
Step 3: Sprinkle the dish with sugar, cheese depending on your recipe (optional)
Step 4: Cook the base; either a relatively basic custard sauce or with a puree
Step 5: Season the base with zest, chocolate, fruit, or add cheeses, corn puree, or whatever flavorings, herbs and spices you want the soufflé to taste like.
Step 6: Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the base to lighten then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Step 7: Bake. To test the soufflé, turn the oven light on and make sure that the top appears browned, crusty and dry. If it does, then take a knife blade and insert it not the center. If it comes out moist and clean, then the soufflé is ready. Otherwise, carefully, slide it back into the oven and let it bake another 5-10 minutes.

It is really that simple! Once you get the basic steps down it can be fun to experiment with both sweet and savory soufflé dishes. This month, new to Glutenfreeda.com we have an Orange Soufflé which is a light and airy (as with all soufflés) soufflé dish that has the essence of orange and lemon and literally melts in your mouth with each bite. Looking to the savory side, we have an awesome Goat Cheese Soufflé. This soufflé is a little richer since it incorporates goat cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and sharp white Cheddar cheese and the perfect touch of thyme. It is the perfect lunch or light dinner when paired with a salad.

Other favorite soufflés on Glutenfreeda.com include a rich Chocolate Soufflé for those chocolate lovers and a heavenly Raspberry Soufflé. And my all time favorite is our Corn Soufflé. This soufflé takes advantage of a sweet corn puree and incorporates it into a light and airy soufflé. The soufflé is further complimented by a warm puddle of rich cream (not for the diet conscience person but certainly a special treat for those who occasionally splurge!).

Extra Tips for Soufflé Success

• First you must have a perfectly clean bowl and beaters for the egg whites.
• Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before beating.
• With an electric mixer make sure to start at a slow speed until the egg whites begin to foam. Slowly increasing the speed until they look smooth, shiny and they will hold a soft peak. If they will not reach this point or they appear grainy and clump together then start again, beginning with a clean bowl and clean beaters.
• To avoid a leathery crust, make sure that the soufflé is baked on the lowest rack and not in the middle of the oven.
• Once the soufflé is in the oven — leave it alone — do not disturb "the beast"! If you open the oven door you risk the possibility of it falling.
• Serve the soufflé at once.

So as you can see a soufflé is not something to fear. It really is an easy dish and certainly and impressive touch to any meal.

Enjoy!

-Glutenfreeda