I don’t have a lot in common with Elvis. Him – tall, American, the King of Rock and Roll. Me – small-ish, English, with a voice that can shatter glass. But we do have one thing in common: namely, a love of the peanut butter and banana combo.
I didn’t always like it. The concoction of peanut butter and jelly struck me as utterly repulsive – to this very day I just cannot stomach it – and the American adoration of the spread remained a strange cultural phenomenon that I was convinced I’d never understand. I was converted last year by a spoonful of peanut butter and chocolate fondant, and that was when my obsession started.
The contents of my wastepaper bin became less and less environmentally-friendly as scrapped essay plans were replaced by alarmingly orange Reese’s wrappers. Peanut butter on oatcakes became my go-to breakfast staple in place of handfuls of dry cereal. But my most beloved discovery was that of ‘The Elvis,’ the King’s favourite peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Last week, I decided to put my own spin on this classic. Despite the fearsome reputation of the famous soufflé, I combined this traditional French dessert with all-American flavours to serve to my family. They were perfect; the typical stodge of peanut butter was dispelled into airy clouds, and the bananas stewed in caramel were deliciously sweet against the salty tang of the peanut butter.
Even though I’ve never cooked a soufflé in my life, they rocketed upwards into the fluffy, delicious desserts that are so renowned. A soufflé truly is all bark and no bite, and if I managed it, anyone could. So open up Spotify and stream a bit of ‘Jailhouse Rock’, and get to enjoying Presley’s favourite flavours with my recipe for peanut butter soufflés with banana and caramel.
Peanut Butter Souffls with Banana and Caramel
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease your ramekins lightly with butter and coat sides with sugar. This will help the soufflés to rise.
Peel and slice the bananas. Layer them at the bottom of the ramekins before covering with a layer of caramel sauce.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, making sure that there are no lumps. Add the cream and, continuously stirring, cook the mixture until it is thick and bubbling before adding the peanut butter. Don’t be alarmed if your mixture seems very thick at this stage, and make sure to mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are properly combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Beat the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and add the peanut butter mixture. Stir them it into the yolks quickly; the last thing we want is solid lumps of cooked egg!
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to stiffen and peak. At this point, slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites. Continue this until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to overbeat the egg whites! This is vital if you don’t want your soufflés to collapse.
With a light hand, fold half of the beaten egg whites into the peanut butter mixture. Add the second half and repeat until fully combined.
Transfer the mixture into the ramekins, filling to the very top, then bake in the oven for half an hour. The tops should be golden brown and risen. Try not to open the oven while they are cooking, but if you must check, it’s safe to test readiness with a knife. It should come out clean (unless you touch the caramel).
Dust with icing sugar using a sieve. Serve and eat as quickly as possible – soufflés begin to fall as soon as they leave the oven!
You can serve with cream or more caramel sauce, or just as they are. Enjoy!
