French in a Flash: Easy Pumpkin-Maple Breakfast Soufflés Recipe

Thanksgiving may be about the food, but it's also about the company. This year, I have friends and family voyaging in from London, New York, and Miami, and they don't expect to be fed just once. I like coming up with Thanksgiving-themed recipes for the rest of the meals. Next Friday night, I'm having a party for all my old school friends back in town with turkey sandwiches, turkey sliders, and turkey meatloaf with sweet potato chips and pumpkin ice cream pie. For breakfast, I'll be serving this quick and easy Pumpkin-Maple Soufflé.

Normal soufflés will start with a béchamel or a pastry cream. Although they're not strenuous, they do take effort and know-how. For this easy pared down version all you have do is whip up the egg whites, fold in the yolks, pumpkin, and maple, then bake. They rise and puff just like a "real" soufflé, but it's much more of a cinch. The flavors of pumpkin and nutmeg are reminiscent of Thursday's pumpkin pie, and the warm maple syrup is just so autumnal and familial at once. I pour a ton of extra warm, runny syrup over mine. So good!

In French, souffler means to breathe. And this recipe means I can breathe easy.

Note: They do tend to fall quickly, as you can see from the picture. But don't worry—they'll still taste good.