Vanilla Souffle Recipe

I made a yummy vanilla souffle this weekend! Sundays are my favorite days to cook. Usually I will try and make a homemade desert too. This was the second time I tried to make a souffle, and I liked this recipe I found better.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar for souffle dish
1 1/3 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, separated

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 4 to 6 individual souffle dishes (or a 7-cup souffle dish) well with melted butter.

Put the sugar inside one dish and toss to coat, then tip the excess sugar into the next dish and repeat. Place the dishes in the refrigerator to chill.
Reserving 1/3 cup of the milk, place the remaining 1 cup in a large saucepan.

Add the vanilla bean and heat just to a boil, then turn off the heat and set aside to let the vanilla bean infuse for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the flour, and the reserved 1/3 cup milk. Add a little of the hot milk and whisk to combine, then add the flour mixture to the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, stir, cover, and set aside 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the egg yolks.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Fold into the milk mixture.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, filling them 3/4 full. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each dish, making a shallow "moat" around the edge of the batter. This will help the souffles to rise straight up. Dust the surfaces with confectioners' sugar. (The souffles can stand at this point for up to 30 minutes.) Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and light golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door unless absolutely necessary.

I substituted 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead of using a vanilla bean. The first time I made a souffle we just ate it plain, and it was good. This time though I found a good vanilla sauce to go with it. It was delicious! I even ate some for breakfast this morning : )