Crown or Top Hat? A New Year’s Dilemma

There are several ways to fill a souffle dish, and how you choose do it will make a difference in the way it looks when it comes out of the oven.

The Crown: This works especially well for large souffles. To get the crown effect, fill the souffle dish to the top and use a spatula or knife to wipe off the excess batter. Now make about five slash marks with a knife or scissors around the outside part of the souffle, leaving the center circle untouched. Each mark should be about two inches long, going from the outside edge toward, but not all the way to, the center. The result will be puffy, cloud-like edges with a center that rises a bit more. Very regal.

The Top Hat: This works especially well with small souffles. Fill the souffle dish to the top, then use a rubber spatula to wipe off the excess batter. Insert your thumb slightly into edge of the souffle at the rim. Turn the dish, balancing your hand with your forefinger, and use your thumb to clean the rim of the dish. When the souffle cooks, it will rise straight out of the ramekin. It is quite magical.

Free Form: This is fine for any size souffle. Simply spoon in the filling to the top, bake and see what happens. Full of surprises.