For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, is it safe to turn on our ovens yet? A record hot summer just broke with cooler air here in Italy. Time to dust off a beloved, slightly modified, Jacques Pépin recipe – a dried apricot and pistachio soufflé.
Don’t let the word soufflé scare you. This recipe is largely foolproof. Boiling some dried apricots? Whipping egg whites to stiff peaks? Chopping pistachios? You’ve got this!
What I like about this recipe is that the ingredients are relatively few and unfussy, and the technique doesn’t require a degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
We officially put our rental apartment out into the world and just hosted our first two sets of guests, a mother and adult son, originally from Ukraine, but now living in Bologna, followed by a family of four including two 11-year-old twins from Milan. Tom and I worked like dogs to get everything pristine and ready including developing a list of nearby restaurants, bakeries, post offices, hospital, etc. It was a proud moment when the guests pulled up and they seemed very pleased with their choice. The site is open at: https://www.booking.com/Share-269HK0j.
The garden, on the other hand is mixed news. Onions, leeks, and the cardoons are thriving. However, I’ve just about given up on the formerly glorious tomatoes since the insects (stink bugs, in this case) moved in and claimed ownership. White flag, they win, despite my constant spraying of neem oil to keep them away. I’m determined to have an organic garden, but this is the third year of frustrating tomatoes due to the critters. Any suggestions from readers out there? Cabbage planted as seedlings are doing well, but those, as well as Brussels sprouts, directly planted as seeds are non-starters – not even one seed germinated. Old seeds, despite package labels? Beets are touch and go. Every year there are winners and losers, but at least there are always lessons learned.
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Dried Apricot and Pistachio Soufflé
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried apricots
- 5 large egg whites
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup pistachios, skinned and crushed, divided
- 1 and 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Powdered sugar as needed/desired for the top of the soufflé
Directions
- Roughly chop and mix the dried apricots with 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Most of the liquid will evaporate, but drain any that remains. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Coat a 6-cup soufflé dish with the butter and sprinkle the granulated sugar to cover the entire surface. If you don’t have a soufflé dish, you can use an ovenproof pot lined with buttered and sugared parchment paper.
- Put the drained apricots in a food processor with the corn syrup and process until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff. Using a whisk, mix approximately one third of the beaten whites into the apricot mixture. Then add the rest of the beaten egg whites, with 1/2 cup of the crushed pistachios, and fold in gently with a rubber spatula. Reserve the extra pistachios for the yogurt base.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Smooth the top with a spatula. Run your finger all around the inside edge of the dish to recess it slightly.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The soufflé should be well set in the center and nicely browned. Note: Browned is the key word here. It might look like it’s over baking, but it needs the time in the oven to firm up in the center.
- While the soufflé is in the oven, combine the yogurt, honey and remaining chopped pistachios. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, spread a couple of spoonfuls of the yogurt mixture onto each individual plate. Dust the soufflé with confectioners’ sugar as soon as you take it out of the oven, and spoon onto the plates. Serve immediately.
Greg Nelson Cooks 
Looks yummy and th
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