Souffles are a very versatile dessert because they are light, yet satisfying. Chocolate souffles can be fairly rich and you might not want to have one after a very meal. Lemon souffles, on the other hand, have a bright and fresh flavor that you can always make room for. These Lemon Blackberry Souffles have an easy to make lemon base that is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. There is very little added fat in these – aside from the egg yolks that give the souffle their body – so they actually are just as light as they taste.
The souffles themselves are lemon. The blackberries are actually buried at the bottom of the ramekins, underneath the cloud-like lemon topping. In the oven, they become sweeter and juicier, and add some extra sweetness to the souffles when they’re served. I used fresh, whole blackberries for these souffles. You can substitute other berries, such as raspberries, blueberries or boysenberries. If you only have frozen berries, defrost and drain the berries, then spoon them into the ramekins in a single layer. You’ll have a saucier result this way, as the fresh berries hold their shape well during baking, but you’ll still get the same great flavor.
These are best served when they’re fresh from the oven, warm and rising dramatically above the rims of their ramekins. The recipe doesn’t take long from start-to-finish (and it is possible to prepare the base earlier in the day and beat in the egg whites just before baking), so it’s fairly easy to pop these into the oven at the end of a meal and be ready to eat them just as the coffee has finished brewing. If you must let them sit before serving, they’ll deflate a bit, but they’ll still have great flavor and will be enjoyable to eat.
Lemon Blackberry Souffles
4 large eggs, divided and at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar + 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk (any kind)
1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup fresh blackberries
Preheat oven to 400F.
Butter four 6 or 8-oz ramekins. Dust the insides of the ramekins thoroughly with sugar (just as you would if you were flouring the ramekins).
In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour until well combined. Whisk in milk. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, then whisk in lemon juice. Bring to a boil, still whisking frequently, and remove from heat. Strain into a large bowl and stir in lemon zest. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat to stiff peaks. Fold into lemon mixture, working in two or three additions.
Divide blackberries evenly into ramekins, almost covering the bottom of each ramekin. Divide lemon mixture even into ramekins. There may be a small amount of lemon mixture left over. Fill the ramekins to the very top and then level each one off with the back of a knife (as you would when measuring sugar).
Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Serve immediately, or allow souffles to cool and fall slightly, then serve chilled with whipped cream.
Serves 4.
Note on making these in advance: The base for the souffle can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored, covered, with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. All the base to sit outside of the fridge for at least 20 minutes before using to warm up slightly. Egg whites should be at room temperature before beating for maximumvolume.