Apple Soufflé Pancakes

Pancake Day last week made me remember how much I love pancakes. Every year I tell myself I will eat them once than just that one day and hardly ever do. As pancakes were still fresh in my mind I decided to use them to make an easy light dessert – apple soufflé pancakes!

They are very simple to make and consist of a pancake filled with a meringue mixture that has been folded into some stewed apple. It’s then baked in the oven until the pancake is crisp and the inside puffy and set. It makes a wonderful light dessert, giving you that sweet treat without anything too stodgy. I love the contrast between the crisp pancake top and the soft; airy marshmallow like centre. Be sure to eat them immediately, as they can start to deflate slightly once out of the oven. They are not really soufflés but they way they puff up and then deflate slightly reminds me of soufflés, but you could call them apple meringue pancakes if you wish.
The recipes below make enough for around 8-10 pancakes and enough filling for 6 generous portions, so you will have a few pancakes left over, but I’m sure it won’t be hard to find some willing person to gobble them up with a bit of sugar and lemon.

Apple Soufflé Pancakes
For the pancakes
(Pancake recipe by Delia Smith)
110g plain flour
2 eggs
200ml milk
75ml water
50g butter

For the filling
2 egg whites
85g caster sugar
1 large cooking apple
1 tsp cinnamon
Extra caster sugar

Method
Firstly prepare the filling. Peel, core and dice the apple. Place in a pan with enough water to cover the base. Bring to a simmer and cook until all the apple has turned soft and mushy. Allow to cook until all the excess liquid has evaporated and you are left with a soft mush. Add a little sugar to taste, but leave it still lightly sharp. Set aside to cool.
To make the pancakes, sift the flour into a bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, whisking out any lumps. Mix the milk and water together and slowly whisk into the batter.
Melt the butter until liquid and stir half into the batter, keeping half back.
Add a small drizzle of the melted butter to a large frying pan and brush over the surface of the pan. Allow to get hot and then add a small ladleful of pancake batter to the pan and quickly swirl it around to create a thin circular pancake.
Allow to cook for around 45seconds before running a pallet knife around the edge of the pan and shaking gently to release it from the base of the pan.
Now either turn it over using the pallet knife or give it a toss in the air and catch it back into the pan. Allow to cook for a further 30-45 seconds until cooked.
Transfer to a plate and repeat with the reaming batter.
Once all your pancakes are made, preheat the oven to 200C.
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until foamy and soft peaks form. Slowly whisk in the caster sugar until a meringue has formed.
Spoon a third of the meringue into the stewed apple and fold in to slacken the mix. Then gently fold through the remaining meringue.
Lay a pancake in an ovenproof dish, with half the pancake draped over the side (at this stage you can brush the pancake with the booze of your choice – Amaretto or Cassis work well). Spoon a generous spoonful of the apple meringue onto the pancake half in the dish and fold over the other half of the pancake, sandwich style.
Scatter the top with some cinnamon and sugar and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
Once cooked, serve immediately as they can start to deflate once out of the oven.
Makes around 6 soufflé pancakes.