Equipment Needed
- 4-6 (6-8 oz) oven-safe ramekins
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Fine mesh sieve
- Small bowl (for separating eggs)
- Baking sheet
Step-by-Step Instructions
We begin with the most important prep: preparing our dishes. Generously butter the insides of your ramekins using softened butter. Make upward strokes with your brush or fingers—this helps the soufflé climb. Then, add a spoonful of granulated sugar to each and tilt and tap to coat the entire buttered surface, dumping out any excess. This creates a rough, sugary “ladder” for the soufflé to rise on. Place the prepared ramekins on a baking sheet. Now, separate your eggs, putting the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites into the impeccably clean, grease-free bowl of your stand mixer. Even a speck of fat can deflate your meringue.
Now, we create the thick, flavorful lemon base. In your medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Whisk in the flour until smooth, then whisk in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 3-5 minutes. You’ll feel it thicken considerably into a smooth, pale yellow curd that holds the lines of the whisk. Don’t let it boil. Immediately pour this lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any bits of cooked egg. Stir in a tiny pat of butter for extra silkiness if you like. Let this cool slightly while you make the magic happen with the egg whites.
This is the critical, exhilarating step: the meringue. Add the pinch of cream of tartar to your room-temperature egg whites. Using your mixer with a whisk attachment, start on medium-low speed until the whites are frothy. Then, increase the speed to medium-high and gradually sprinkle in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Whip until you have stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape when the whisk is lifted. The meringue should look like shiny marshmallow fluff. Do not over-whip until it looks dry or grainy. Now, using your rubber spatula, fold about one-third of the meringue into the slightly cooled lemon base to lighten it. Then, gently fold in the remaining meringue in two additions. Be patient and gentle—you want to keep as much air as possible. The mixture will be light, voluminous, and pale yellow.(See the next page below to continue…)