This is an elegant breakfast recipe that I’ve streamlined heavily, because none of us would go to this much trouble – not even for a special birthday breakfast treat – unless it was more user-friendly. Souffles get a bad rap, but they are surprisingly easy: the only trick to a souffle is to beat the egg whites enough to make them rise. Then you’re just mixing up a handful of ingredients that you probably already have at home: oatmeal, milk, eggs, and maple syrup.
The famed Inn at Little Washington serves a wonderful oatmeal soufflé, but their recipe is pretty time-consuming for a home cook who has other things to do with her day. I eliminated a number of the steps and altered the ingredient list, and found that I like this version better. Oatmeal seems like the last food in the world you could make a soufflé out of, because it’s so substantial, but that’s exactly why it’s so good – this recipe has all the flavor of maple-sweetened oatmeal but none of the heaviness. It’s like what oatmeal would taste like if it were made by angels!
Serves: 8
Prep time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup quick oats
- 1 cup cream or half and half
- ¼ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark rum, or 1 teaspoon rum extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 egg yolks, well beaten
- 10 egg whites
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Butter and sprinkle sugar into 8 individual-sized ovenproof dishes.
- Bring one cup of cream or half and half to a boil, lower heat and add ¼ cup sugar, oatmeal, rum, and the maple syrup.
- Stir until oatmeal is cooked (about five minutes). Remove from heat.
- In a separate saucepan, melt butter at low heat and sprinkle in flour, stirring until well combined.
- Add ½ cup milk and stir until thick.
- Turn off heat and allow mixture to cool.
- Stir in egg yolks.
- Add flour and egg yolk mixture to the oatmeal and stir until combined.
- Whisk egg whites in mixer until frothy. Add two tablespoons of sugar and beat at high speed until medium-sized peaks form.
- Add a small amount of egg white to the oatmeal mixture and mix well.
- Fold in the rest of the egg whites gently.
- Fill the soufflé dishes and place on a baking sheet.
- Place in the center of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
