The present invention relates to a method for producing a frozen preparation for a sweet souffle, as well as the frozen preparation thus obtained. The invention also relates to a method for preparing a sweet souffle from a frozen preparation, and the sweet souffle thus obtained.

Sweet souffles, also called cream dessert souffles, are known as light preparations. Sweet souffles generally include two basic elements, more specifically a custard and stiff peak egg whites. The egg whites are incorporated into the custard, then the mixture is poured into a souffle dish and is then baked at 230°C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Due to the presence of stiff peak egg whites, the volume of the sweet souffle increases at moderate heat. Souffles are also known for having to be prepared at the last minute to prevent collapse. In fact, they must be served and consumed immediately after leaving the oven to avoid the problem of fallen souffles, which are no longer presentable, and no longer have the desired gustatory qualities. The sweet souffle therefore has the drawback of not being able to be prepared far in advance.

Sweet souffles also have the drawback of being very difficult to freeze. Different proposals have been made to resolve this technical problem.

Patent FR2744882 proposes culinary compositions for sweet souffles with a base of fruit purees and that do away with liquid, water or milk, egg yolks, and flour. These compositions are presented as being able to be frozen before cooking and being able to be cooked without defrosting. These compositions are essentially made up of meringue and are related to "blancmange."

Patent FR2346987 proposes a freezable culinary preparation. The invention lies in the incorporation of the custard into an uncooked cream puff paste before adding egg whites, resulting in a souffle preparation that can be frozen. The culinary preparation is therefore made up of a homogenous mixture of a cooked custard, an uncooked cream puff paste, and stiff meringue egg whites.

The culinary preparation according to FR2346987 nevertheless has the drawback of not being able to be kept in the freezer for a long time. In fact, after a certain amount of time, for example a period of more than two months, said culinary preparation is altered by drying from the freezer. The preparation loses its gustatory and nutritional properties and is no longer edible. Furthermore, the souffle preparation loses its lightness properties that characterize the sweet souffle. The preservation of the souffle preparation therefore needs to be improved.

The present invention therefore proposes a solution to the problem of preserving souffles in the freezer for a longer period of time, for example longer than 2 months.

Quite often, chefs who wish to obtain egg whites with firmer stiff peaks are forced to allow the egg whites to age in the refrigerator for several days. The method according to the present invention makes it possible to obtain very firm stiff peak egg whites without having to leave the whites in the refrigerator before whipping them. The invention therefore has this other advantage. The present invention thus proposes a method for making a frozen preparation for a sweet souffle, comprising the following steps:

a) a base is prepared for a cream puff paste from least the following four ingredients: water or milk, fat, flour, and egg;

b) a custard is prepared from at least the following four ingredients: milk, sugar, flour, and egg yolk;

c) the custard obtained in step b) is incorporated into the cream puff paste base obtained in step a), and the mixture is kept in a double boiler at a temperature not to exceed 70°C;

d) egg whites are whipped to a stiff peaks stage;

e) a mixture of sugar and water is cooked at a temperature between 1 10 and 120°C, so as to obtain a caramel;

f) the hot caramel is poured on the stiff peak egg whites of step d), and they are mixed so as to obtain meringued egg whites;

g) the mixture obtained in step c) is removed from the double boiler, and the meringued egg whites obtained in step e) are incorporated into said hot mixture;

h) the mixture obtained in step g) is placed in a souffle dish; and ,

i) the souffle preparation is frozen immediately at a temperature of at least -10°C.

The inventor realized that implementing such a method makes it possible to preserve the sweet souffle preparation in the freezer longer than the preparations of the prior art. More specifically, the method according to the invention uses a caramel, obtained from a mixture of sugar and water, cooked/heated at a temperature comprised between 1 10 and 120°C, which is poured on the stiff peak egg whites, then mixed with them. The inventor realized that this step made it possible to keep the sweet souffle preparation according to the invention in the freezer for a longer period of time without losing the expected properties of a souffle, in particular visual, gustatory, nutritional, and therefore edible properties of sweet souffles.

According to the inventive method, the stiff peak egg whites thus obtained are very firm, which favors the mixing of the three components of the preparation according to the invention.

Such a method also makes it possible to obtain a more homogenous souffle preparation, which favors conservation of the product. The present invention therefore relates to a method for making a frozen sweet souffle preparation. The term "freezable" may now be used as an equivalent for the term "frozen." The sweet souffle preparation is in fact freezable and frozen.

According to a first step, a cream puff paste mixture is prepared from the following four ingredients: water or milk, fat, flour, and egg. These four ingredients make up the minimum necessary to prepare a cream puff paste. "Fat" prim a ri ly refers to butter, ma rg a ri ne , a nd veg eta ble fat. It m ay nevertheless be an edible oil or any food compositions including triglycerides. "Flour" primarily refers to wheat flour, for example the white flour used for pastries and cakes. It may for example be type 45 or 55 flour. Other ingredients may potentially be added to the cream puff paste mixture. In particular, these additional ingredients are in particular chosen from among salt, sugar, and flavorings.

It is important to note that the cream puff paste here is not cooked before it is mixed with the custard.

As an example, the ingredients for the cream puff paste are the following: 250 g of water or milk, 100 g of butter or margarine, 150 g of flour, and 250 g of eggs.

Another example of the ingredients necessary to prepare 1 liter of cream puff paste mixture according to the invention is the following: 1 liter of water, 15 g of caster sugar, 15 g of salt, 400 g of butter, 600 g of flour, 18 to 20 eggs.

The protocol for preparing the cream puff paste mixture is the following:

i) the liquid mixture, water or milk and fat, is brought to a boil;

ii) once boiling, it is removed from the heat, the flour is added all at once, and it is stirred vigorously;

iii) it is returned to the heat (high heat), and the obtained paste is dried for several minutes, for example 2 to 3 minutes or 3 to 4 minutes; and iv) it is removed from the heat, and the eggs are added one after the other.

The second step of the method according to the invention consists of preparing a custard from the following four ingredients: milk, sugar, flour, and egg. These four ingredients make up the minimum necessary to prepare a custard. Other ingredients may potentially be added to the custard. More specifically, these additional ingredients are in particular chosen from flavorings and natural juices, for example reduced by cooking.

As an example, a custard is prepared from the following ingredients: 1 I of milk (skim, half-cream, or whole), 10 egg yolks, 250 g of caster sugar, and 1 15 g of flour.

The protocol for preparing the custard is as follows:

i) half of the sugar is mixed with the egg yolks, then the flour is added;

ii) the milk is brought to a boil, then the other half of the sugar is added;

iii) the sugared milk is added to the mixture obtained in step i) while stirring;

iv) the mixture obtained in step iii) is boiled until the custard is cooked.

The third step consists of incorporating the custard obtained in the second step of the method into the cream puff paste base obtained in the first step of the method, then keeping the mixture in the double boiler at a temperature below 70°C. For example, the mixture may be kept at a temperature comprised between 40 and 60°C. Advantageously, the mixture is kept at approximately 60°C. It will be noted that in the inventive method, the custard is incorporated into the cream puff paste, so as to obtain a completely homogenous mixture, but it is also possible to incorporate the cream puff paste into the custard.

According to one aspect of the invention, it is possible to add one or more additional ingredients to the mixture obtained in the third step. These ingredients are intended to give the sweet souffle a particular flavor. These additional ingredients are in particular chosen from among chocolates (e.g. - dark, white, milk chocolate), cocoas (e.g. cocoa powders, cocoa paste), alcohols (e.g. Grand Marnier, Kirsch, Cognac), liqueurs, scents, flavors (e.g. vanilla, coffee), spices (e.g. cinnamon), fruit purees (e.g. stewed apples, raspberry and blackcurrant puree, raspberry pulp), natural products (e.g. essences, e.g. essence of coffee or raspberry), and natural juices, for example reduced by cooking.

The fourth step of the method according to the invention consists of whipping the egg whites to the stiff peaks stage. A pinch of salt may be added to facilitate the process.

The fifth step of the method consists of heating or cooking a mixture of sugar and water at a temperature comprised between 1 10 and 120°C, so as to obtain a caramel.

It is important, according to the invention, to prepare the caramel at a temperature comprised between 110 and 120°C, these extremes being comprised in a temperature range applicable to the method. The mixture of sugar and water can for example be cooked/heated at a temperature of 11 1 , 1 12, 1 13, 1 4, 15, 1 6, 1 17, 18 or 19 °C. According to one aspect of the invention, the caramel is prepared at a temperature comprised between 115 and 20°C, preferably a temperature of 1 15°C. The temperature of the caramel is monitored precisely using a sugar thermometer.

According to one aspect of the invention, the sugarwater weight ratio is comprised between 10: 1 and 10:3. For example, 1 kg of sugar and 200 g of water are heated (sugarwater ratio of 5:1 ).

The egg whites whipped to the stiff peaks stage according to this process are firmer than the egg whites whipped to stiff peaks using a traditional process. This has the advantage of facilitating their mixing with other components of the souffle. The sixth step of the method consists of pouring the hot caramel over the stiff peak egg whites from the fourth step, so as to obtain meringued egg whites.

The method according to the invention therefore uses a hot caramel that is poured on the stiff peak egg whites, then mixing them. The invention realized that this step of the method made it possible to keep the preparation in the freezer for a longer period of time, while keeping the gustatory and nutritional properties of the product. Such a method therefore makes it possible to consider industrial production of the product obtained using the method and the marketing thereof. This is one significant advantage of the present invention.

Using such a step also makes it possible to obtain a more homogenous preparation for sweet souffles. The seventh step of the method consists of removing the cream puff paste-custard mixture (obtained in the third step of the method according to the invention) from the double boiler and incorporating the meringued egg whites previously prepared into that hot mixture. According to an eighth step of the method according to the invention, the mixture obtained in the seventh step is placed in a souffle bowl/dish/mold.

Accordi ng to a ninth step , the so uffle preparatio n is frozen immediately at a temperature of at least -10°C.

According to one aspect of the invention, the preparation is frozen at a temperature comprised between -10°C and -20°C.

"Immediately" means that the preparation must not stay at room temperature for more than a half-hour, advantageously more than a quarter hour after the end of its preparation.

Freezing keeps the temperature at the center of the food at a negative temperature, for example -15°C or -18°C, which makes it possible to preserve it. Some foodstuffs are nevertheless capable of being kept longer than others, in particular depending on their ingredients. The inventor has now observed that adding a specific step to the usual souffle preparation method led to improving the conservation time of the sweet souffle preparation in the freezer, while preserving the expected properties of the dessert (in particular taste, consistency and appetence).

According to the invention, it is preferable to freeze the sweet souffle preparation slowly, rather than quickly (or deep freezing).

According to one aspect of the invention, the custard:cream puff paste:meringued egg whites ratio is comprised between 2:3:3 and 3:4:4, determined from the weight of each ingredient in the finished product.

For information, the proportions of each basic component in the final preparation may be the following:

The present invention also relates to a frozen sweet souffle preparation obtained using the manufacturing method according to the invention.

The frozen sweet souffle preparation obtained using the method according to the present invention has the advantageous property of being able to be kept in the freezer longer than the preparations of the prior art. This property results directly from the manufacturing method for the freezable preparation.

The sweet souffle preparation according to the present invention may potentially comprise food additives and/or preservatives. Food additives in particular include chemical preservatives (E200 to E297), which are used to extend the shelf life of the food. These may for example be mineral preservatives (sodium chloride, sodium and potassium nitrates and nitrites, sulfur dioxide and sulfites, carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide or perhydrol) or organic preservatives (saturated fatty acids and sodium salts, potassium or calcium, sorbic acid and calcium, sodium, and potassium sorbates, benzoic acid and its derivatives, the other organic acids, alcohols , phenolic antioxidants).

According to one aspect of the present invention, the sweet souffle preparation according to the present invention has no preservatives.

According to another aspect of the invention, the frozen sweet souffle preparation comprises an alcoholic liqueur or an alcoholic liqueur extract.

The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a sweet souffle from a frozen preparation according to the invention, consisting of heating said preparation to a temperature comprised between 180 and 250°C, preferably between 200 and 230°C for a length of time that depends on the weight of the frozen preparation. For example, a souffle preparation placed in a souffle dish with a diameter comprised between 6.5 and 8 cm must be baked at approximately 200°C for 15 to 18 min. According to another example, a souffle preparation comprising chocolate placed in a souffle bowl with a diameter of between 6.5 and 8 cm must be baked at approximately 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

According to one aspect of the invention, the frozen souffle preparation is taken out of the freezer approximately 20 minutes before it is baked in the oven. This means that the frozen preparation remains at room temperature for a certain period of time before being placed in the oven.

According to another aspect of the i nvention , the souffle preparation is taken out of the freezer at the last minute, then placed in a microwave oven (in particular, defrost mode) for a very short period of time (for example, less than 2 minutes) before being baked in the traditional oven. This has an obvious advantage relative to the service time, in particular in a fast food setting, in situations where customers wish to be served very quickly, or in situations where customers do not wish to order their desert far enough in advance to use the traditional method (20 minutes at ambient temperature).

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the frozen preparation is placed in a souffle dish measuring 6 to 10 cm in diameter, and is baked until the souffle reaches a height of 1 to 6 cm. The invention also relates to a sweet souffle obtained using the method described above. Lastly, the invention relates to the use of a caramel obtained by heating a mixture of sugar and water at a temperature comprised between 110 and 120°C to prepare meringued egg whites to manufacture a frozen sweet souffle preparation.

Examples

Example 1

A frozen sweet souffle preparation is made from the following mixture of ingredients:

- 100 g of custard

- 150 g of cream puff paste

- 150 g of meringued egg whites

- Alcohol, for example Grand Marnier or Cognac (5 to 20 cl) or flavor, for example coffee or vanilla

According to this example, the custardxream puff paste:meringued egg whites ratio is 2:3:3, determined from the weight of each ingredient in the finished product.

Example 2

A frozen sweet souffle preparation is made from the following mixture of ingredients:

- 50 g of custard

- 150 g of cream puff paste

- 150 g of meringued egg whites

- Alcohol, for example Grand Marnier or Cognac or flavor, for example coffee or vanilla

According to this example, the custard ream puff paste:meringued egg whites ratio is 1 : 1 : 1 , determined from the weight of each ingredient in the finished product.

Example 3

A frozen sweet souffle preparation is made from the following mixture of ingredients: - 150 g of cream puff paste

- 180 g of meringued egg whites

- 50 g of pureed raspberries and blackcurrant

According to this example, the custard:cream puff paste:meringued egg whites ratio is 1 :1.5:1.8, determined from the weight of each ingredient in the finished product.

Protocol for making the souffle preparation

1. Preparation of one liter of mixture for cream puff paste

i) bring 1 liter of water and 400 g of butter to a boil;

ii) once boiling, remove from heat, add 600 g of flour all at once, and stir vigorously;

iii) return to high heat and dry the obtained paste for 2 to 3 minutes; and iv) remove from heat and add 18 eggs one after the other (2 by 2).

2. Preparation of one liter of custard

i) 125 g of sugar is mixed with 10 egg yolks, then 1 15 g of flour is added; ii) 1 liter of milk is brought to a boil, then 125 g of sugar is added;

iii) the sugared milk is gradually poured over the mixture obtained in step i) while stirring;

iv) the mixture obtained in step iii) is brought to a boil (gas or electric) until the custard is cooked. Once boiling starts, the preparation is cooked for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Mixture of the cream puff paste and the custard

The third step consists of incorporating a predetermined quantity of custard (for example, 100 g) obtained in the second step of the method according to the invention into a predetermined quantity of cream puff paste base (for example, 150 g) obtained in the first step of the inventive method, then keeping the mixture in a double boiler at a temperature of 60°C. If an additional ingredient is required (for example, 10 to 20 g of chocolate), it is added in that step of the method.

4. Preparation of one and one half liters of stiff peak egg whites, or approximately 48 egg whites

The egg whites are whipped to the stiff peaks stage using a whisk, after adding a pinch of salt.

5. Preparation of the caramel 1 kg of sugar and 200 g of water are mixed (sugar.water ratio of 5:1 ) and the mixture is heated/cooked at a temperature of 115°C, so as to obtain a caramel. The temperature of the caramel is monitored using a sugar thermometer.

6. Preparation of the meringued egg whites.

The caramel is poured over the stiff peak egg whites and they are mixed.

7. Finishing the freezable preparation

The cream puff paste-custard mixture is removed from the double boiler, and the alcohols, flavors or fruit purees, then the predetermined quantity (for example 150 g or 180 g) of meringued egg whites previously prepared) are incorporated into that hot mixture.

The mixture thus obtained is placed in a souffle bowl/mold/dish with a diameter of 8 cm and an approximate capacity of 135 cm ³ . The inside of the souffle bowl is coated beforehand with grease (butter or margarine), then caster or granulated sugar.

The souffle bowl containing the souffle preparation is then immediately placed in the freezer (-15°C).

The dish is then kept at a temperature of -18°C for 8 months.

Protocol for preparing the souffle from a frozen preparation

The souffle preparation is taken out of the freezer at the last minute (before being served), then placed in the microwave oven (defrost setting) for 1 minute and 20 seconds before being baked in the traditional oven for 16 min.

The souffle thus obtained preserves its visual and gustatory properties.