Cherry-Oat Soufflé With Vanilla Sauce

The sour cherries in this irresistible dessert are low in calories and high in vitamin A and folic acid.

Souffl?
3 cups (750 ml) oat flakes (rolled oats)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter
2 cups (500 ml) pitted sour cherries
2 free-range eggs
1 cup (250 ml) milk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Dash ground cinnamon, ground anise and coriander, to taste
Butter to grease dish

Vanilla sauce:
2 cups (500 ml) milk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) natural sugar such as Sucanat or Rapadura
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 free-range egg

In pot, heat butter on low and gently roast oat flakes for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Strain cherries and set the juice aside. In a bowl, beat eggs with milk, honey and spices. Grease an ovenproof souffl?ish, then layer half of the roasted oats, half the egg-milk mixture and cherries. Top with remaining oats, then pour remaining egg-milk mixture overtop. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes.

Next, make the vanilla sauce. Bring milk with sugar and vanilla extract or pod (cut it in half and scrape the seeds out) to a boil. In the meantime, dissolve cornstarch or arrowroot powder in a bit of water. When the milk has boiled, stir in cornstarch or arrowroot and cook until sauce thickens. Remove from stove and discard vanilla pod. Add egg yolk while constantly stirring. Let sauce cool. Beat egg white and add to vanilla sauce.

Serve the souffl?hile still hot with vanilla or cherry sauce or whip cream.

To make cherry sauce, slowly bring the reserved cherry juice to a boil. Dissolve one tablespoon (15 ml) of cornstarch or arrowroot powder in a bit of water and stir into cherry juice. Let thicken and remove from stove. Cool and serve. Serves four.

Source: alive #241, November 2002