A beautifully golden coconut soufflé with a delicate, airy texture, accented by sweet shredded coconut and finished with a silky vanilla sauce for an elegant dessert presentation.
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Thoroughly butter eight 4- or 6-ounce individual soufflé dishes or a 1½-quart soufflé dish. Dust interior with sugar.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; thoroughly whisk in flour and salt. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook and stir until thick, stirring constantly. (Sauce will be stiff.) Cool while beating egg yolks.
In a medium bowl beat egg yolks with electric mixer until well blended; gradually beat in sugar until thick and light yellow in color. Beat in vanilla. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the sauce until well combined. Fold in coconut until evenly distributed.
With the whisk attachment of electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Carefully fold egg white mixture into coconut mixture.
Spoon into prepared dish(es), using slightly less than 1⁄2 cup in individual dishes. Place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for individual dishes or 50 to 60 minutes for 1½-quart dish until golden brown and a thin wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out completely clean. Serve with Rich Vanilla Sauce.