About Soufflés

The word soufflé means blown up and refers to airy dishes, either sweet or savory, that have a flavored base that gets lightened by the addition of stiffly beaten egg whites, softly beaten heavy cream, or both. A soufflé can be either baked or frozen; if baked, the lightening agent is always egg white. When baked, the air beaten into the egg whites expands and the water in the mixture turns to steam, causing the soufflé to rise. It must be served the instant it is taken from the oven because the gas contracts as it cools and the towering, fragile puff deflates rapidly.