German Gingerbread Mini Souffles Aka Lebkuchensouffle

Gingerbread flavored puffs of dessert set on puddles of chocolate sauce. I translated this directly from the German version I clipped out of Schoener Essen magazine. An elegant looking dessert.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 20  g butter, for greasing ramekins
• 2  tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
• 200  g frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants)
• 1⁄4 liter  orange juice
• 4  medium eggs
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 1  tablespoon lemon, zest of, finely grated
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon dark rum
• 1 -2  teaspoon  gingerbread seasoning or 1 -2  teaspoon  other mixed spice (Lebkuchengewuerz or Apple Pie Blend)
• 70  g granulated sugar
• 2 -3  teaspoons  vanilla sugar
• 40  g all-purpose flour
• 20  g cornstarch
•  salt, to taste
• 1  tablespoon powdered sugar
•  chocolate syrup, to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Butter six (150 ml size) ramekins with butter and sprinkling with sugar; chill.
2. Cook fruit with orange juice, mashing gently to crush berries, until it has become liquidy; remove from heat and let cool about 10 minutes.
3. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
4. Mix together the egg yolks with the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, rum, spice blend,granulated sugar, vanilla sugar using a hand mixer for 5 minutes, or until creamy and slightly thickened.
5. Combine the flour and the cornstarch, and then add the fruit, folding it in gently.
6. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gently.
8. Portion the batter into the ramekins, set ramekins onto a jelly roll pan to make them easy to place in the oven.
9. Bake in a preheated 175 Celsius oven on the bottom rack for 30-35 minutes.
10. Remove the souffles from their ramekins and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or ladle some chocolate sauce onto serving plates, and place the souffles in the center, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.