Apple or Peach Souffle

Ingredients

• 0 to taste (enough to form a thick layer at the bottom of your dish) Fruit (apples or peaches) (Use enough fruit to create a generous layer in your serving dish. Apples or peaches both work well. If using peaches, no lemon is needed.)
• 0.5 lemon Lemon, grated (zest and juice) (Only add if using apples. Grate the zest finely and include the juice.)
• 0 to taste Sugar (Add enough to sweeten the custard mixture to your liking.)
• 0.5 pint (approximately 285ml) Milk (Whole milk is ideal for a richer result.)
• 0.5 pint (approximately 285ml) Cream (Use double or heavy cream for best results.)
• 1 yolk Egg yolk, beaten (Separate carefully and beat lightly with a fork before adding.)
• 0 to taste (enough to cover the top of the dish) Whip (whipped cream) (This must be prepared the day before and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Whip cream until it holds stiff peaks.)

Instructions

1. 1The day before you plan to serve this dish, whip your cream until it holds stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate overnight. This allows the whip to firm up and hold its shape beautifully on the finished dessert.
2. 2On the day of serving, prepare your fruit. Place your apples or peaches in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook until the fruit is completely soft. Pour off the water and push the cooked fruit through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon, pressing firmly to create a smooth pulp. Discard any skins or stones left in the sieve.
3. 3If you are using apples, grate half a lemon — both the zest and the juice — directly into the warm fruit pulp and stir to combine. Skip this step entirely if you are using peaches.
4. 4Spoon your fruit pulp into the bottom of your serving dish, spreading it out into a thick, even layer. Set aside.
5. 5In a medium saucepan, combine the half pint of milk, half pint of cream, sugar to taste, and the beaten egg yolk. Stir everything together well. Place the saucepan over a medium-low heat and cook gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and is just about to come to a simmer — do not let it boil or the egg will curdle. This gentle heating is called 'scalding'. The custard should coat the back of the spoon lightly.
6. 6Remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave the custard to cool to room temperature. To speed this up, you can set the saucepan in a shallow bowl of cold water, stirring occasionally.
7. 7Once the custard has cooled to room temperature, carefully spoon it over the layer of fruit pulp in your serving dish. Use a spoon to spread it gently so it covers the fruit in an even layer without disturbing it.
8. 8Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator. Spoon it generously over the top of the custard layer to cover the dish completely. Serve immediately or chill briefly until ready to eat.