Orange Liqueur Souffle

60 g butter

50 g plain flour

350 ml milk

45 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

4 egg yolks

5 tablespoons orange liqueur

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

6 egg whites

Icing sugar for sprinkling

Whipped cream for serving, flavoured with orange liqueur or orange juice, if liked

Directions:

In a large non stick saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, stir in the flour until blended. Gradually stir in the milk, cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. With a wire whisk, beat the caster sugar into the milk mixture. Rapidly beat in the egg yolks all at once until well mixed.

Cool the mixture to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Stir in the orange liqueur and grated orange zest.

Brush the inside of 1.2 litre souffle dish with butter, sprinkle lightly with caster sugar.

Preheat the oven to 190C/ 375 F/ gas 5. In a large bowl, with the electric mixer on full speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites, one third at a time, into the egg yolk mixture.

Spoon the mixture into a prepared dish. With the back of a metal spoon, about 2.5 cm from the edge, make 4 cm wide indentation all round in souffle mixture, to get the top hat effect.

Bake the souffle for 30-35 minutes until the knife inserted under the top hat comes out clean.

When the souffle is done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with sifted icing sugar. Serve immediately. Hand whipped cream in a bowl to spoon on to each serving., if you like.

TIP: If you sprinkle inside the buttered souffle dish with caster sugar, it will melt during baking and the souffle will not stick to the dish.

Successful sweet souffles

Hot sweet souffles consist of a thick sauce of butter, flour, milk, sugar, egg yolks and flavourings folded with stiffly beaten egg whites. For success every time, follow these simple guidelines:

• Always cook butter and flour first, to get rid of the raw taste of uncooked flour. When adding milk, take care to do it very gradually.
• Boil milk mixture for 1 minute so that smooth sauce is formed.
• Beat in egg yolks vigorously with pan off the heat.
• Fold egg whites gently into sauce, taking care not to stir whites.
• Bake souffle on rack slightly bellow centre of the oven so that mixture itself is centred and has sufficient room to rise.
• Do not open oven door before end of baking time, cold air could cause souffle to fall.