Cheese Soufflé

May 18: National Cheese Soufflé Day

Cheese gets sophisticated as a soufflé on its own national food holiday.  Highlander, who would often make omelets with cheese for breakfast or brunch, feels special when Islander prepares this light and airy dish as an alternative. Going the “eggs-tra” mile in making this soufflé may sound cheesy but it is a nice change and a challenge.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup milk
• pinch of salt
• pinch of paprika
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Grease the bottom and sides of four mini ramekins with 1 tablespoon of butter.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the butter. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter on low heat. Mix in the flour until smooth and creamy.  Pour in the milk and stir until slightly thickened.  Add the salt and paprika. Remove from heat and whisk the egg yolks into the mixture.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until firm.  Fold a little of the meringue into the egg mixture.  Add half of the cheddar cheese.  Fold in the rest of the meringue and cheese.  Mix gently until well incorporated.  Fill each ramekin to the top. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.  The soufflés should rise and the tops will turn golden brown.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Notes

• The original recipe yields one big serving, so we shared the cheese soufflé. We doubled this recipe for our blog and were able to fill four mini ramekins.
• The soufflé will rise but fall within a few minutes out of the oven. The deflated dish still tastes great.