Apricot souffle

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Combine cream, flour, ¼ cup sugar, and diced apricots in a large saucepan.
3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking until thick, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add kirsch, then wisk in egg yolks one at a time.
5. beat egg whites in a nonreactive mixing bowl until foamy; add cream of tartar; continue to beat until very stiff.
6. butter a small souffle dish (6 ½ " diameter, 2 ½" deep), dust with sugar, and spread ¼ cup apricot mixture on bottom.
7. Add about a third of the egg whites to the remaining apricot mixture; gently fold together.
8. Repeat, carefully folding in remaining egg whites in two batches.
9. Do not overmix.
10. Spoon over apricot mixture in souffle dish.
11. make sure oven rack is low enough to allow souffle room to rise 2" above rim of dish.
12. Bakei souffle until lightly browned on top, 12-15 minutes.
13. Dusti generously with confectioner"s sugar and arrange sliced apricots on top. Serve immediately.
14. (souffle will coninue to cook as it rests; start eating on the outside and work your way into the middle).
15. reprinted from saveur magazine - july/aug 1996.