• Rooibos milk tart soufflé is a fluffy, light dream. The flavours are beloved by almost every South African, and we try to include them in as many divine dessert recipes as possible. This soufflé is amazing for a teatime treat.

    Recipe by Floris Smith

    Rooibos milk tart soufflé

    Serves: 6
    Cooking Time: 2 hrs + overnight, to soak and 2 hrs, to chill

    Ingredients

    • Stewed dried fruit (make a day in advance)

    • 250g mixed dried fruit
    • 500ml (2 cups) water
    • pinch salt
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 star anise
    • 3 cloves
    • 4 Rooibos teabags
    • zest and juice of ½ orange
    • juice of 1 lemon
    • 60ml (¼ cup) castor sugar
    • Milk tart soufflé

    • 10ml (2 tsp) instant Rooibos
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) orange rind
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 500ml (2 cups) full-cream milk
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) cornflour
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) cake flour
    • 60ml (¼ cup) sugar
    • 3 eggs, separated
    • 30g butter
    • cinnamon sugar, to sprinkle
    • Amaretto ice cream

    • 750ml (3 cups) milk
    • 225ml fresh cream
    • 55g milk powder
    • 170g castor sugar
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 15g honey
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) almond butter
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) almond essence
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) Amaretto
    • warmed stewed fruit, to serve
    • honey tuile, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    For the stewed dried fruit, chop the dried fruit into small blocks and rinse under cold running water. Soak overnight in the water with the salt, spices and teabags. Remove the teabags in the morning. In the same water, cook the fruit with the spices, orange zest and juice and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat until the fruit is soft (but not mushy), about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

    2

    For the milk tart soufflé, infuse the Rooibos, orange rind and cinnamon stick in the milk by bringing it to a boil. Allow to stand, 30 minutes, then strain.

    3

    Mix the cornflour, flour and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and 125ml (½ cup) of warm milk and whisk to form a paste. Temper this mixture with the remaining milk by adding 125ml (½ cup) of the milk at a time. Pour into a medium saucepan over low heat and keep whisking the mixture until it is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter while still hot. Allow to cool and refrigerate, 30 minutes.

    4

    Preheat the oven to 180°C. When the milk tart soufflé is cooled and you are ready to serve, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the the base crème, 1 part milk tart to 2 parts egg whites. Scoop into ramekins and flatten the top with a palette knife or the back of a knife. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top and bake in the oven in a water bath, 10 minutes.

    5

    For the Amaretto ice cream, combine the milk, cream, milk powder, sugar, egg yolks, honey, almond butter and essence in a saucepan and whisk together. Place on the stove and bring to 85°C. Cool over an ice bath then whisk in the Amaretto. Refrigerate, at least 2 hours, before churning in an ice-cream maker.

    6

    Serve the milk tart soufflé warm with the Amaretto ice cream. Garnish with a crispy honey tuile and some warm stewed fruit.