Recipe

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• 4 ripe pears (about 1-1/2 lbs total weight)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp pear brandy
• 8 egg whites
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• confectioners' sugar

• 1 For the pastry cream: Scald the milk. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until light and thick. Stir in the flour and cornstarch.
• 2 Stir half the hot milk into the egg mixture. Then add that mixture to the remaining hot milk in the pan.
• 3 Bring to a boil, whisking until the pastry cream thickens. Simmer for 2 minutes.
• 4 Rub the surface of the hot cream with some butter.
• 5 For the souffle: Peel and core the pears and put them along with the lemon juice into a food processor.
• 6 Purée the pears and then pour into a saucepan.
• 7 Cook the purée for 10-15 minutes. It should be thick enough to hold a shape. Allow to cool.
• 8 Stir the cooled purée into the pastry cream and add the pear brandy. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the pear cream. It can be refrigerated up to 3 hours.
• 9 Preheat oven to 425°F Thoroughly butter a 2-qt. soufflé dish.
• 10 Whip the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the sugar and continue beating until they are glossy.
• 11 Reheat the pear cream (if necessary) until it is hot to the touch.
• 12 Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the warm pear cream, mixing thouroughly.
• 13 Gently fold the cream into the rest of the egg whites and pour into the prepared dish.
• 14 Bake the soufflé in a heated oven 20-25 minutes. The soufflé should be puffed and brown.
• 15 To Serve, dust with powdered sugar.