These muffins are perfect for a special Sunday brunch, whether for Easter (like today) or any other “impress your guests” type of occasion. At first I was put off by the confusing aspect of how to eat them (muffin says hands, syrup says fork) but then I realized that essentially it’s a fluffy yet substantial pancake, so of course a fork is the right (only) choice. These had a really lovely texture and paired perfectly with the strawberry-maple syrup.

This is what the batter looked like shortly before scooping it into the muffin pans:

You don’t hear all of the “Oh no! My souffle is falling!” jokes these days like in my childhood (and happy that comedy has progressed beyond failed souffles and the old pie-in-the-face), although I did have a bit of a panic that my souffle muffins would fall/fail. But behold! They are risen! I won’t quite call it a miracle as much as a meticulous following of directions, though.

Aren’t they pretty?

Pancake Soufflé Muffins with Strawberry-Maple Syrup by Bill Telepan, Fine Cooking, March 2011, Original Recipe Here

Serves 12, Yields 24 muffins

For the muffins
Nonstick cooking spray
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup plus 2 Tbs.) cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
6 T bs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3-1/3 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

For the strawberry syrup
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup quartered, hulled ripe strawberries

Make Ahead Tips

You can make the batter up to 2 hours ahead through the step of folding in the beaten egg whites. Refrigerate it, covered, in its bowl. Do not portion it into muffin tins until you’re ready to bake.