When I was a kid, the only soufflé I knew was the cheese soufflé that my Mom was making. We never heard about sweet soufflés and it is only much later in my life that variations on soufflés started to appear, like the cauliflower soufflé we made one time with my sister. Then I discovered chocolate soufflés, and one time, banana soufflés. The latter is fantastic; well, if you like bananas! So, the recipe below is my take on a recipe I learned at the Institute of Culinary Education few years ago.

I should mention that you can prepare the soufflés in advance and keep them in the refrigerator before baking them for 10 to 12 minutes.

Duration: 30 minutes

Ingredients for 2 soufflés:

• 2 ripe bananas (I started with one, but added a second to get more flavor)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/5 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 4 drops of vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter

Step 1 - prepare the banana purée

Peel the bananas and purée them in a blender.

Step 2 - prepare a sugar syrup

In a small sauce pan, add 1/5 of a cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and stir for 4 minutes, until it thickens and the sugar crystals completely dissolve.

Step 3 - Mix the banana purée in the sugar syrup

Take 1 cup of the banana purée and mix in the sugar syrup with 4 drops of vanilla extract, stirring well while still on the stove. Remove from the stove once done and transfer the bowl.

Step 4 - Incorporate the egg whites in the banana purée

Put the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a mixer and whip the whites until firm. Then, add a tablespoon of granulated sugar and whip again.

After obtaining firm egg whites, incorporate the whites slowly into the banana purée.

Step 5 - Prepare the ramequins

Melt the butter and coat the sides of two ramequins. Then add some granulated sugar and coat again the sides of the two ramequins, the butter allowing the sugar to stick.

Pour the banana purée into the ramequins. At that point, you can either bake the soufflés immediately or later, in which case, you need to keep them in the refrigerator.

Step 6 - Bake the soufflés

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. When you reach that temperature, lover to 375 F. 

Run a knife around the sides of the ramequins, to remove any pressure on the purée when baking. Then put the ramequins in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the top is brown. Remove and serve. Bon appétit!