Debbie Quinn has a lifelong love of food and cooking, nurtured in her parents’ restaurants and in her own family’s kitchen. Every fortnight she shares her passion and expertise with our readers, bringing her best recipes, tips and tricks to the table.
Deb’s Cold Lemon Soufflé
This is a recipe by my late mother-in-law, the lovely Clare Quinn. It’s a delight — just like Clare was — and a wonderful summer (or warm early autumn!) dessert. It’s pillowy, lemony and delicious.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp gelatine
½ cup cold water
6 egg yolks
1½ cups caster sugar
Grated rind of 4 lemons
1 cup strained fresh lemon juice
6 egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 cups cream
Lemon slices for decoration (optional)
Method:
Sprinkle gelatine over the cold water in a cup, leave to soften for 5 minutes, then stand the cup in a pan of simmering water one-third of the way up the cup until the gelatine dissolves. Set aside to cool.
Beat egg yolks with 1 cup of the caster sugar until thick and light, add grated rind, cooled dissolved gelatine and lemon juice.
Chill in the fridge until slightly thickened but still liquid. Usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes maximum.
In a clean bowl whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, then gradually add remaining half a cup of sugar and whisk until thick and glossy.
Using the same beater unwashed, whip one cup of the cream in a chilled bowl until stiff.
If you’re using a glass dish, decorate with thin slices of lemon, pressing them against the sides so that they stick.
Gently fold the cream and egg whites into the lemon mixture, pour into the dish and chill at least 6 hours until firm.
Decorate the top with the other half of the cream (whipped as described below), dotting a few heaped dessertspoons of cream around the edges and serve with some lovely fresh berries, or just serve it on its own.
Whipped cream for decoration:
1 cup cream
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp caster sugar
To make whipped cream, pour cold cream in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Or you can use a handheld mixer. Simply whip the cream on medium-high speed with the sugar and vanilla until medium peaks form and the cream just starts to hold its shape/peak.
Deb’s tips
- If you are using a glass dish and decide to decorate with lemon slices, make sure you slice the lemon very thinly — if the slices are thin enough they will hold their position. (This is optional but does make the dish look a bit special.)
- Keep an eye on your cream as it whips — it can quickly over-whip and turn into butter!
- Also, if your family has had this before, keep an eye on the dish in the fridge, because it tends to vanish before you get a chance to serve it!