Why have I never made a cheese souffle before? After making this, my first, I have no idea why it's taken me so long. If you can make a cheese sauce and beat egg whites, you can make a cheese souffle.
Seriously. It's that easy. You stir the butter and flour together long enough to get rid of the floury taste, then add hot milk, cheese, and egg yolks.
I used gruyere, which was lovely. But I think it might have been even lovelier to use a mixture. In fact, I'm pretty sure that a cheese souffle is a perfect vehicle for using up dribs and drabs of cheeses, as long you show a little restraint.
The egg whites are folded into the cheese sauce mixture, poured into souffle dishes, and put in the oven. That's it. Then you just have to wait.
I cut the recipe in half. My souffle dish was too big for a half-recipe, so I used a few small dishes. Here's what I learned. A rim at the top of a dish really messes with the souffle's rising.
I used two rimmed dishes and one without a rim. For some reason, the rim made the souffle crazy.
The one in the straight-sided dish was normal.
Both normal and crazy souffles tasted great.
Live and learn right. I too have heard that souffles need straight sides in order to rise properly. But your souffles still look tasty.
ReplyDeleteMost recipes suggest making a paper collar that sticks above the dish so that the souffle can rise without dripping out. Your bowls would be just fine with a buttered collar. Your souffles look great anyway. Bet they tasted good.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous that your souffles got such a nice even brown color. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's true - once you make a souffle you wonder why you never did it before. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI like the "crazY" souffles:)
ReplyDeleteLovely souffles…I made mine in one large dish! It was so delicious…I will definitely make again! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI love your mini souffles! Sooo cute!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the rim interfered so much. I think the drippy ones look kind of charming. If I were at your table, I'd have nabbed one of those. :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't feel too bad, I never even tasted a soufflé, never mind making one. However the whole
ReplyDeleteexperience was interesting. Hubby and I both enjoyed it, but the leftovers were great, Just like cheese cake, which I love.
I kind of like the funky ones - they look like they are coming out to greet the world :-)
ReplyDeleteI should've cut the recipe in half too, but since I haven't made a cheese souffle before I was a little afraid. Thanks for sharing your experience, I will be braver next time.
ReplyDeleteLooks gorgeous! Even the crazy ones!
ReplyDeleteMarie, Who knew that rim detail? Thank you. Another little gem to put into my brain. I also used a really wonderful (and, pricey) piece of gruyère. It was delicious and classic but I wondered also about mixing my cheeses. So many others added yummy ingredients to their souffles and I want to try those also (not all at once, however). Nice Post. Mary Hirsch
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lightsonbrightnobrakes.com/
Just goes to show how airy and light your batter was. Soufflés are now on my list of 'can dos.' Surprisingly easy.
ReplyDeleteThe look iconic
ReplyDeleteNo matter how they look they tasted incredible I"m sure. Another helpful hint is to not fill them to the top. They need the side of the dish to set their trajectory.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos. Your souffles look yummy. I'm sure there is a scientific reason having to do with surface tension but with the big ones it's just easier to put a collar around the sides. Think Sis Boom is right too: they need time to form a cooked crust before they rise above the rim of the dish.
ReplyDeleteYour souffles are a wonderful shade of brown. I completely agree with you. Having also made my first souffle, I don't know why I never made one before. I think using up the cheeses in the cheese drawer is the perfect idea for next time, and there will definitely be a next time.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting experiment. It's amazing that such a small rim makes such a difference in the rise. Yours still came out beautifully, though. I agree, this would be a great way to use the ends of leftover cheeses.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice, even, brown top you got! So pretty!
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