Chilled Lemon Soufflé

This show-stopping soufflé is chilled, so the tricky timing and advanced skills required for a baked soufflé are eliminated.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  butter or margarine
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 2  envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/2  cup  cold water
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
• 3/4  cup  lemon juice
• 1/3  cup  meringue powder
• 1 1/2  cups  sugar
• 1  cup  water
• 2  cups  whipping cream
• 1  (2-ounce) package slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
• Candied Lemon Peel (optional)
• Garnish: Lemon slices

Preparation

Cut a piece of wax paper long enough to fit around a 2-quart soufflé dish, allowing a 1-inch overlap; fold paper lengthwise into thirds. Lightly butter one side of paper and soufflé dish. Wrap paper around outside of dish, buttered side against dish, allowing it to extend 3 inches above rim; secure with cellophane or masking tape. Sprinkle sides of dish with 2 tablespoons sugar.

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon sugar; cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Stir in lemon rind and juice. Set aside.

Beat meringue powder, 1 cup sugar, and water in a large bowl at high speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat at high speed 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold in gelatin mixture.

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin mixture.

Pour into prepared dish, and chill 8 hours. Remove collar, and pat chopped almonds around sides.

NOTE: We used Wilton Meringue powder in this soufflé. Look for it in the cake-decorating section of crafts stores or at Wal-Mart