Ahh souffles. I love them fluffy and I love them dense. I love them sweet and I love them savory. Airy chocolate ones and oozing cheesy ones...But before this turns into a souffle love letter, I have to say, I don't actually love making souffles. Too much work. Tricky ingredients. Specialized equipment. All sorts of things can throw them off, the egg whites not being whipped properly, the oven temperature not quite right, overmixing, I could go on and on. But they are so tasty, every once in a while it's worth doing anyway. Because nothing quite gives the sense of satisfaction to a cook, as a successful souffle. Making a souffle is magic.
I made a souffle I think is great for breakfast. But you could also make it as a light supper with a salad. It's an indulgent kind of meal, perfect for lazy weekends. Just make sure your dining companions are seated when it comes out of the oven; souffles waits for no one.
I based my version on a couple of recipes from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. But because I don't have a souffle dish I use a Pyrex baking dish. I can't stand recipes that call for uneven numbers of whites and yolks, so I decreased the number of whites to make it come out even. If you want your souffle super duper fluffy, you can use five whites and four yolks. Experiment with cooking times to get the texture you like, I like mine a tad bit runny, not too dry. If you do decide to tackle a souffle, be sure to make it for someone truly deserving!
Breakfast Souffle
serves 2 for breakfast or 4 if you serve as part of a larger menu
Ingredients
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
pinch salt
pinch cayenne or dry mustard powder
4 yolks
4 egg whites
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large (9x13 or so) baking pan in the oven and fill with water, about an inch of water. Spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Melt the butter and whisk in the flour, cooking for a couple of minutes over medium low heat. Whisk in the milk until smooth and cook until thick, three minutes. Stir in cheeses and spices, cook over very low heat until the cheeses melt. Beat a few tablespoons of the very thick sauce into the yolks, then mix the yolk mixture into the sauce.
Beat the egg whites stiff, but not dry. Mix a big scoop of the whites into the cheese sauce to lighten the mixture. Then carefully fold the sauce into the whites. When combined, put in a souffle dish and slip that into the water filled baking pan, bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately with buttered toast.
Enjoy!
Amy Sherman is a San Francisco–based writer, recipe developer, restaurant reviewer and all around culinary enthusiast. She blogs for Epicurious , Bay Area Bites and Cooking with Amy .