Back Currant Soufflés with White Chocolate Ginger Sauce

Soufflés are tons of fun to serve and eat. They are not difficult --- the only tricky part is being able to serve them immediately out of the oven. So timing is critical (just like most things in life). However, a flat soufflé will taste just as wonderful so don’t be too sad if your timing is off. Soufflés have 3 basic parts. First the body, second the flavoring and third the egg whites. Adding a sauce to dessert soufflés is optional. My nephew Matt calls this sauce "a drizzle of goodness." I created this recipe to celebrate my first crop of black currants from bushes I planted last year. This fall, I am going to try it with cranberries instead of currants.
Black Currant Soufflés with White Chocolate Ginger Sauce
Pastry cream:
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 egg yolks, beaten.
Mix flour and sugar together in a saucepan. Add the milk and vanilla. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Whisk into egg yolks slowly. Return to heat. Bring to a boil again stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and place a piece of plastic wrap on surface of pastry cream.




Black currant flavoring:
1/2 cup cleaned black currants (or chopped cranberries)
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4cup water
juice and grated peel of one tangerine
pinch of salt
Boil all ingredients, uncovered until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes stirring often. Mash currants up with the back of the spoon while stirring. Add black currant mixture to pastry cream , mix well and cover with plastic wrap.


Beat 6 egg whites until stiff. Fold 1/3 into pastry cream to lighten it, then fold back into the rest of the whites until well blended.
Butter and sugar 12 small (1/2 cup) ramekins. Fill to 1/4 inch from top. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until risen and golden brown on top. Remove from oven and serve immediately by splitting tops open with two spoons and pouring in a few tablespoons of sauce.



White Chocolate Ginger Sauce
3/4  cup cream or half and half
6 oz white chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
Heat cream to a simmer. Stir in chocolate and ginger. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Keep warm and pour into soufflés to serve.