Martha Stewart Thinks This Is How You Should Be Eating A Soufflé

Martha Stewart's name is synonymous with elegant décor, vibrant parties, and delicious food. Her culinary repertoire is particularly vast: Stewart has conquered everything from cupcakes to pressure cooker cuisine, and that's just for starters. She's especially renowned for her versatile approach to cooking, which she's carefully honed over the course of her lengthy career. Whether you're preparing canapes for a high-class banquet or pulling together something on a weeknight, Stewart is sure to have some worthwhile tips.

Ever the media mogul, Stewart has recently joined the legions of celebrities, influencers, and professional personalities on TikTok. As anyone familiar with the platform knows, it's an excellent means of discussing, sharing, and celebrating all things culinary: Viral food trends, helpful holiday leftover hacks, and Taco Bell vigils alike all proliferate on TikTok. Stewart's approach to food and cooking has proved to be a natural fit. One of her most interesting food-centric videos is also one of her most simple — and it involves a famously complicated dish.

Soufflés are typically known for two main things: being fancy and being fussy. It's the dish characters break out on TV shows when they want to impress their persnickety boss, high-class date, or demanding parent ... and most of the time, it ends up being the dish that blows up in their face. In truth, though, soufflés are fairly simple. According to Mother Earth News, they're comprised of nothing more than a flavorful sauce and a number of beaten egg whites, baked until they reach their vaunted puffiness. 

This simplicity makes soufflés remarkably achievable, but it also means that every single element of their creation has to be perfect. In a recent TikTok, Martha Stewart reveals what she believes to be a crucial final step in enjoying the beloved dish. As she demonstrates on a sumptuous-looking soufflé from the Polo Lounge, a small hole must be cut in the top of the dish, through which créme anglaise should be poured. She then adds a rich dollop of whipped cream. This makes the confection even more decadent and delicious, which she proves by taking a heaping bite.

Is Stewart's method truly the one and the only way to eat soufflé? Not exactly. Soufflés are surprisingly versatile: Apple soufflés, potato soufflés, and even peanut butter soufflés are all valid variations on the celebrated dish. Most recipes lack Stewart's final flourish of créme anglaise and whipped cream. In fact, even her own recipe for chocolate soufflé lacks this finishing touch: It merely advises cooks to serve the dessert immediately with an optional dusting of powdered sugar. If most soufflé recipes recommend serving the dish with any sort of dairy-based accompaniment, it's usually ice cream. Chocolate soufflés are often paired with a cold and creamy scoop of vanilla, for example, which contrasts beautifully against their intense flavor.

The bottom line is, Stewart's advice is anything but definitive. If someone's going to the trouble to make soufflé, they might not have the time to whip up some créme anglaise as well, and it isn't exactly an item most folks have on hand. But Stewart's method is also undeniably delicious: The richness of the créme anglaise and whipped cream pairs divinely with the airiness of the soufflé, resulting in a sublime mixture of flavor and texture. Even if you don't make a habit of finishing your soufflés in this manner, taking the time to try it at least once is undoubtedly worth it.