In this month of hearts, we have compiled questions on soufflés – desserts which are quite challenging for some people to make on their own.  Surprise your loved ones by making this kind of dessert on special occasions.  Read on and learn.

Q:  Hi Jun Jun and Adoree.  I made chocolate soufflé at home and I was not happy with the result.  I think it did not rise that much.  What could have possibly went wrong?  (Mari Puenteveros of Las Piñas)

Adoree:  Hi, Mari.  Thank you so much for writing us.  I have a feeling your soufflé base was thick that is why your soufflé did not rise too much.  The puffing up of soufflés rely most on the beaten egg whites and since the egg whites are very light, sometimes they cannot handle if the base is too thick or heavy.  I suggest you lighten the base by adding more egg whites; add the some egg whites to the base first before folding in the remaining egg whites.  If your base has starch in the form of flour in it, you can also reduce it specially if you have melted chocolate to stabilize your base anyway.  Lastly, make sure your oven temperature is set at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit so that your soufflé will really puff.  Once you put in the soufflé, do not open the oven door.  Good luck, Mari.

Jun Jun:  Hi Mari, make sure that your soufflé is cooked well at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and at least 15 minutes, sometimes 18, depending on the size of your container as well as the type of oven you have.  The egg yolk and chocolate present in your recipe will give the structure for your soufflé. The puffiness is due to the egg white foam so take care of both.  Folding is very fragile and must be done lightly. Sometimes, some unfolded egg white mixture can still be seen. 

Q:  Making a soufflé was a challenge for me.  I thought I did very good because my egg whites were beautiful but my cheese soufflé overflowed from the containers so the result was a mess and not a sight to behold.  Help!  (Len Villaroman of Quezon City)

Adoree:  Len, the problem was you overfilled the soufflé mold.  Next time, just fill the containers two-thirds full.  Also, make sure the oven temperature is set at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit so that the soufflés puff up and not spread out.

Jun Jun: The overflowing is also due to the melting temperature of the cheese when you reach the point that the cheese turns to liquid, making more volume on the soufflé but less air.  Don’t overly fill up your containers; around half to 2/3 full will do. 

Q:  I have always liked to make soufflés at home because I fancy those beautiful, flat-top, puffy thing.  When I made orange soufflé, how come mine was domed-topped with bumps.  I hope you can imagine my disappointment when I saw the soufflés.  My family still loved them though.  I want to perfect them the next time. Please give me tips and suggestions.  Thank you in advance.  (Jing Santana of Makati City)

Adoree:  When making soufflés, you have to be spontaneous.  Fill the containers two-thirds full, spread the mixture with a spatula to even out, then create a “collar” using your thumb.  The common mistake of many is that they just fill the containers and bake right away without spreading to make the mixture even.  If the mixture is quite liquid, there should be no problem as it spreads out on its own when poured. But if the mixture is thick, you have to spread it evenly to make the top flat.

Jun Jun: Certain soufflé recipes will give you a flat surface but it really depends on how much your egg yolks you put from the start.  As I already stated, the meringue must be whipped until stiff peaks, then proper folding should be looked into at all times. 

Q:  Hi Jun Jun and Adoree.  I made mango soufflé last week and it came out pretty much okay except that the bottom has some liquid.  Was that expected?  I also wanted to make the flavor a little more intense.  Can I add more mango?  Thank you to both of you.  (Sandy Tan of Pasig City)

Adoree:  Hi, Sandy.  The liquid was due to the water from the mango.  I suggest you cook the mango puree until almost all of the liquids have evaporated before you fold in the egg whites.  This will minimize the liquid in your soufflé as well as intensify its flavor.

Jun Jun:  Your soufflé doesn’t have any starch or flour in its mixture so the liquid present in the mixture is left and nothing is there to absorb it.  This can be removed by making sure that the soufflé stays a bit longer than others, maybe five more minutes to evaporate that liquid.  Also, this type of soufflé must be eaten right away so a short rest will cause the mixture to weep – the stage where water or moisture is slowly release then it condenses again to make water.