3 Cheese Soufflés

Many people are terrified of baking soufflés. These eggy, foamy treats have a bad reputation as being temperamental. People also tend to think that they are difficult to make, but they really aren’t. Temperamental, sometimes, but not difficult at all.

There are also tricks to take the temperament out of the treat. Here are my tips to bake great soufflés:

1. Always use fresh eggs at room temperture. I use XL eggs for baking.
2. Make sure you pre-heat your oven to the correct temperature for at least 15 minutes before putting the soufflés in, and shut the door of the oven as quick as you can after loading them.
3. When folding in the whisked egg whites, do it lightly and never overmix the batter.
4. While baking, never open the oven door until the baking time is up.
5. After removing the soufflés from the oven, serve them immediately! Freshly baked soufflés will wait for no-one.

Remember, your soufflé will most probably always deflate to some extent after cooling down. It is not a flop, it is part of the charm! So don’t be scared to try this – it is certainly worth it.

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 200 ml milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup of grated cheese, mixing 3 of your favourites (I used mature cheddar, blue cheese and gouda)
• salt, pepper
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 4 egg whites, whisked to stiff peaks

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 220 C. Butter 6 small ramekins (or 4 medium).
• On the stove top over medium heat, melt butter, then add flour. Stir well for about 2 minutes.
• Add milk in a steady stream, mixing well. Stir vigorously until sauce thickens and all lumps are gone. Remove from heat.
• Add egg yolks and stir well until smooth.
• Add cheese and stir well, but not until melted. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.(Remember that the cheeses are already quite salty)
• Add some of the whisked egg whites to the mixture, and fold it in. Now add this mixture to the remaining egg whites, and fold in, working quickly and lightly. Do not overmix – keep as much air in the mixture as possible!
• Pour mixture into ramekins, filling them about 2/3. Arrange on a baking tray, then put in the oven immediately. Bake for 15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown on top.
• Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Credits:

This post was especially written for The Pretty Blog by Ilse van der Merwe from The Food Fox.

Food: Ilse van der Merwe from The Food Fox.

Photography: Tasha Seccombe.

Styling: Nicola Pretorius & Tasha Seccombe.