Apple or Pear Souffle

APPLE OR PEAR SOUFFLE
Makes Two

2 not too tart apples
2 eggs separated
1C water
1C white wine
1/2C plus 2T sugar
2T butter

Preheat oven to 375F.

Rub the butter all around the inside and sides of two ramekins. Add the 2T sugar to one, then, holding this over the other ramekin, roll the sugar around to coat the bottom and sides completely, letting sugar fall into second ramekin. Repeat. Place ramekins on cookie sheet. Set aside.

Peel and thoroughly core both apples, then slice into thin slices.

Combine water, wine and sugar in sauce pan, bring to rolling boil, then add apple slices. Lower heat to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes…you want very well cooked apples. Remove from sauce pan with slotted spoon, place on food processor. Return liquid to full boil, and reduce to about 1/3C, set aside.

Turn processor on high and walk away…you want a very, very well pureed fruit. When done, place in large sauté pan over medium high heat. Stirring constantly, sauté the fruit to drive off as much liquid as possible…it will darken and thicken in the process. Remove from heat, spread on plate to cool.

Separate the eggs. Place yolks in aluminum bowl over a sauce pan of simmering, not boiling, water. Don’t let bottom of bowl touch water. Whisk this constantly until the yolks start to thicken and turn a pale yellow. Add 1T of the reduced water/wine/sugar syrup, continue to whisk until this has doubled in volume. Remove from heat to cool slightly, then fold apple puree into this and set aside.

Whisk the whites to the soft peak stage, then add the remaining 1T of apple reduction. Continue to whisk to the stiff peak stage. Stir about 1/3 of the whites into the apple mixture to loosen it up some, then gently fold in the rest. If you have some bits of white showing, that’s ok. Place in oven, bake for 18-20 minutes. They will jiggle a bit when done and be browned on top. Serve immediately.