Light and fluffy, these impressive desserts look, smell, and taste extraordinary — meringue gives them a cloudlike texture, while quince adds a delicious fragrance and beautiful pink hue. And they're very manageable for a small dinner party if you make your crêpes and prepare the quince ahead (see cooks' note, below). Bring them both to room temperature when you sit down to dinner; when it's time for dessert, you'll only need to beat your egg whites and assemble the soufflés for baking.
· Crêpes can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. · Poached quince in syrup and quince purée will improve in color if made at least 1 day ahead and can be made 5 days ahead. Cool poached quince in syrup completely, uncovered, then chill, covered. If possible, make quince purée at least 1 day after poaching (to allow color of quince to improve) and chill, covered.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 1/2 hr
Yield
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For crêpes
For quince purée
For soufflés
Preparation
Make crêpe batter:
Step 1
Whisk together all crêpe ingredients until smooth, then chill, covered, 30 minutes.
Poach quince:
Step 2
Combine water, sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add quince and simmer, covered, until fruit is very tender but not falling apart, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Discard zest.
Cook crêpes while fruit poaches:
Step 3
Lightly brush an 8- to 9-inch nonstick skillet with butter, then heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Holding skillet off heat, pour in a scant 1/4 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly.) Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until just set and golden around edges, 10 to 15 seconds. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof rubber spatula, then transfer crêpe to a plate. Brush skillet with more butter and make 3 more crêpes in same manner, stacking crêpes on plate.
Finish preparing quince:
Step 4
Measure out 3/4 cup poached fruit with a slotted spoon and 3 tablespoons cooking syrup (reserve remainder in saucepan), then purée in a food processor with vanilla and 1 tablespoon Calvados until smooth.
Step 5
Transfer remaining fruit from reserved syrup with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl, then return to saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remaining tablespoon Calvados and cool.
Step 6
Measure out 3/4 cup reserved fruit, then chop and set aside. Stir remaining fruit into reduced syrup and set aside separately.
Make soufflés:
Step 7
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 8
Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar in a slow stream, beating, and beat at medium-high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into quince purée, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Gently fold in chopped fruit.
Step 9
Brush bottom sides of crêpes with some melted butter and put in a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan (about half of each crêpe will hang over). Divide soufflé mixture among crêpes, spooning it in center and spreading it over half of each crêpe. Gently fold other half of each crêpe over filling to rest on top. Bake until filling is puffed, set, and pale golden in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.
Step 10
Dust crêpes with confectioners sugar and serve immediately with reserved quince and syrup.
Recipe notes
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