Grand Marnier Soufflé

Serves 4
Active time 25 minutes + making the candied orange
Macerating time Overnight
Cooling time 15 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes

Who doesn’t love a good old soufflé? Well, this is our take on the traditional fluffy baked goods, complete with Grand Marnier syrup and candied oranges.

Equipment

6–7in (16–18cm) round soufflé dish,

2½in (6 cm) deep

Electric hand beater

Ingredients

Candied orange (make 1 day ahead)

½ orange, preferably organic

Scant ½ cup (100ml) water

½ cup minus 1½ tbsp (2¾ oz/80g) sugar

Grand Marnier syrup

Syrup from the candied orange (see above)

1 tbsp (15ml) Grand Marnier

Ladyfinger layer

2 ladyfingers (sponge fingers)

For the soufflé dish

2 tbsp (25g) butterSugar

Mixture 1

1 cup (250ml) whole milk, divided

Scant 1/3 cup (2 oz/60g) sugar

½ cup + 1 tbsp (2½ oz/45g) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (1 oz/30g) butter

Mixture 2

3 egg yolks (scant ¼ cup/60g)

Finely chopped candied orange

2 tbsp (15ml) Grand Marnier

3 egg whites (6½ tbsp/90g)

1 tbsp + 2 tsp (20g) sugar

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Method

1A day ahead, prepare the candied orange. Slice the ½ orange thinly, remove seeds, and place the slices in a saucepan. Add the water and sugar, then heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Simmer 15 min.

2Remove from the heat, cover, and let macerate overnight.

3 The next day, drain the orange slices over a bowl to reserve the syrup. Chop the slices finely, then set aside.

4To prepare the Grand Marnier syrup, stir the Grand Marnier into the candied orange syrup in a bowl large enough to dip the ladyfingers.

5Dip the ladyfingers in the syrup until soaked but still intact. Cut into small dice, then set aside.

6 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Grease the soufflé dish with the butter, then sprinkle with sugar to coat evenly.

7To prepare mixture 1, bring ¾ cup (190ml) of the milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk together the sugar, flour, and remaining milk. Whisk in a little of the boiling milk, return the entire mixture to the saucepan, and bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Let boil for 2 minutes, still whisking constantly, then remove from the heat.

8While the mixture is still warm, stir in butter until melted. Cover and cool for 15 minutes.

9To prepare mixture 2, whisk the egg yolks into mixture 1 to form a smooth custard. Stir in the chopped candied oranges and the Grand Marnier. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

10In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar and whisk until peaks are medium-firm.

11 Stir one-third of the whites into the custard to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a spatula, until thoroughly incorporated.

12Pour half the batter into the soufflé dish and scatter over the diced ladyfingers. Cover with the remaining batter. Lightly dust the top with confectioners’ sugar.

13Bake for about 20 minutes, until well risen and the tip of a knife pushed into the centre comes out clean. Serve immediately.