Souffles add style to your meal.
The delicate golden puff of a cheese souffle, hot from the oven, brings a touch of elegance to your table. Fortunately, these delicate creations are not difficult to make, despite their gourmet appearance. When you want to wow your guests with your cooking prowess, try a cheese souffle. Dinner will never be the same.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter your ramekins and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, tipping the ramekin so the cheese covers the sides and bottom. Alternately, you can use finely ground dry bread or cracker crumbs if you don't care for Parmesan. The crumbs allow your guests to easily spoon the souffles from the ramekins.
2. Measure out your ingredients. Use a ratio of 2 eggs and 2 ounces of cheese for every 1 cup of bechamel sauce. This amount makes two medium sized souffles cooked in 2-cup ramekins. Alter the ingredient amounts for more servings.
3. Prepare or purchase bechamel sauce. Warm it in a medium-size saucepan, stirring frequently to keep it from scorching. The bechamel sauce should not boil.
4. Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites in a stainless steel bowl until they reach medium peaks. You can test by lifting the beater; the egg whites will form a peak with a soft tip that bends over and holds its shape.
5. Remove sauce from heat and add shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Add egg yolks and blend until silky.
6. Fold the prepared sauce into your whipped egg whites by pouring the sauce on top of the whites and gently pulling the mixture up and over, carefully integrating the two mixtures without stirring. The whipped whites are the ingredient that adds loft to your souffles .
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Check the souffles after 12 minutes. Oven temperatures vary and your souffles may cook faster or slower. Remove the souffles when they are very high and the tops are golden brown.
8. Serve immediately, if possible. Souffles are still good when served within 20 minutes but they will deflate slightly.
Tags: bechamel sauce, cheese souffle, whipped whites, your guests, your souffles
