Hellloooo. It’s been a minute since I’ve posted a recipe on here. I needed a creative break, and I was traveling for work. It was nice to get away, but it does feel good to be back. This week I made another matcha recipe for my partnership with Aiya Matcha. This recipe was one I was scared to make because souffles are intimidating. But after all was said and done, I am really happy with how this matcha souffle recipe turned out.
What is a souffle?
I really wanted to make a souffle because I wanted to challenge myself and to learn something new. Souffles are sometimes considered the pinnacle of desserts because of how difficult they can be. They are composed of a base and meringue. I learned that it is key to nail both parts, so you get that lift and airiness people associate with this dessert. The base provides the flavor, and the meringue provides the lift.
Making the matcha base
The base for this matcha souffle is made up of matcha powder, sugar, egg yolks, milk, and flour. The goal of this base was to make sure I created a thick base that balanced the sweetness of the sugar and the bitterness of the matcha powder. I had some trouble initially with the matcha powder clumping up, so I made sure to sift it well in later tests. It still wasn’t perfect in the end, but it still tasted good. If you run into this problem, sift it 1-2 times and know that it’s still okay if there are clumps left.
How to make a good meringue
The meringue is a crucial part to souffles. You want a stiff meringue to provide the lift souffles need. First whisk egg whites with a hand mixer or stand mixer on low. Once it reaches the ribbon stage, slowly start adding in your sugar. You know you’re in the ribbon stage if your egg whites have really tiny bubbles vs the big bubbles you start with. You can also lift your whisk out, and if you have soft peaks, you’re there. At this point, you can up the speed of your mixer. After you add in all your sugar, mix on high until you get stiff peaks. You know you have stiff peaks when your meringue doesn’t move after you lift your whisk out. The meringue should also have a very pure white color.
Tips for the perfect matcha souffle
I am new to souffle making, so I watched a few videos before I started. I found this one from Bon Appetit the most helpful. If you don’t have time to watch the video, I listed a few good tips below.
- When you coat the ramekin with butter, use a brush to brush the butter up from the bottom of the ramekin. Brushing the butter in an upward motion will help the souffle rise.
- Use cream of tartar in your meringue to help your egg whites hold their shape. I use this technique when I make the meringue for my matcha macarons.
- Over fill your ramekin and scrape off the excess with a straight edge.
- Run your thumb around the inside edge of the ramekin before you put it in the oven. See above picture for what you want it to look like. This helps your souffle rise.
The matcha sugar topping
Souffles are normally topped with a sweet sauce, whipped cream, or powdered sugar. For this recipe, I wanted to do something different. I mixed 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to create matcha sugar. Right before eating I sprinkled some over the top, and I LOVED IT. Last thing to note, eat your souffle as soon as it comes out of the oven. Souffles start to deflate once they come out of the oven.
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Thank you to Aiya Matcha for sponsoring this post.
Matcha Souffle
Equipment
Ingredients
Matcha Base
- 1 tbsp & 1 tsp Aiya culinary grade matcha powder
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp flour
Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Matcha Sugar
- 2 tsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Aiya culinary grade matcha powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prep your ramekins. Brush 2 ramekins with melted butter. Use ramekins that are 4 inches in diameter. Next coat the ramekin with sugar. Make sure the entire inside is coated. Set ramekins aside.
- Matcha Base: Add the matcha powder and milk to a small sauce pan and whisk. Heat for a few seconds over low heat until smoke is emitted from the mixture. Remove pan from the heat. Whisk together sugar and egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add the sugar/egg yolk mixture to the sauce pan. Mix all the ingredients together. Finally, add in the flour and mix well. Return the sauce pan to the stove and heat the mixture over low heat until it is a thick consistency. The mixture should be the consistency of honey. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Meringue: Add cream of tartar to the egg whites. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip your egg whites on low speed. Once you see soft peaks form, slowly add in the sugar. Turn up the speed of your mixer to high. Whip your meringue until you see stiff peaks. Be careful not to over whip your meringue.
- Empty the matcha base into a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 of your meringue to the matcha base and mix.
- Add the rest of your meringue. Gently fold the meringue into your matcha base. Use big circular motions around the edge of the meringue to incorporate in the matcha base. Be careful not to deflate your meringue.
- Spoon the souffle into your prepared ramekins. Over fill your ramekins and level them off with a straight edge. Once filled, trace the inside edge of your ramekin with your thumb to create an indentation.
- Bake souffle for 11-13 minutes or until the souffle has risen above the ramekin and the edges are slightly golden brown.
- While the souffle is baking, make the matcha sugar by combining matcha powder and powdered sugar. Set aside.
- Once out of the oven, sprinkle the souffle with matcha sugar and serve immediately. Souffles start to deflate once they come out of the oven, so they are best served right away.
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by Becca Du