Recipes: Soufflé au Fromage, Mini Grand Marnier Soufflé

SoufflÉ au Fromage (CHEESE SOUFFLÉ)

Serves 4

Note: You won't be using one of the egg yolks. Adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck.

• 1 tsp. butter plus 3 tbsp. butter, divided

• 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

• 3 tbsp. flour

• 1 c. boiling milk

• 1/8 tsp. pepper

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 5 eggs

• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

• 3/4 cup (3 oz.) coarsely grated Swiss cheese, or combination of Swiss and Parmesan, divided

Directions

Prepare a 6-cup soufflé mold by buttering inside and sides with 1 teaspoon butter, then sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Turn upside down to knock out excess. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat; when mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling milk at once.

Beat vigorously with a wire whip until blended. Beat in the salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Return to moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire whip, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

Add an extra egg white (from the fifth egg; you won't use the yolk) to the ones in the bowl. Whip 30 seconds until foamy, add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff peaks form. Stir a big spoonful (about one quarter of the egg whites) into the sauce. Stir all but a tablespoon of the cheese into that mixture. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, which will be almost three quarters full. Tap the bottom of the mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the soufflé with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Set on the second lowest level rack of oven and immediately turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Do not open oven door for 20 minutes. In 25 to 30 minutes the soufflé will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned. (If you like a creamy center, it may be served at this point, but it is fragile and will sink rapidly.) It will collapse less readily if you allow it to bake 4 to 5 minutes more to firm it up. Serve at once.

Variation: Try using Gruyère cheese for a savory soufflé.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates9 gSaturated fat13 gCalcium296 mg

Protein17 gCholesterol1 mgDietary fiber0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ milk, 2 medium-fat meat, 3 fat.

Mini Grand Marnier SoufflÉs

Serves 5 to 6.

• Softened butter for molds

• Sugar for molds

• 3 tbsp. sifted flour

• 1/3 c. plus 1 tbsp. sugar, divided

• 3/4 c. milk

• 2 tbsp. softened butter

• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar

• 3 tbsp. orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or triple sec)

• Zest of 1 orange

Directions

Prepare 5 or 6 mini molds, each with an 8-ounce capacity (or a 6-cup soufflé mold) by buttering inside and sides with butter, then sprinkling with sugar. Turn upside down to knock out excess. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the flour and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan. Add a bit of the milk until well blended. Beat in the rest of the milk. Stir over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Sauce will be very thick. Remove from heat and stir for 2 minutes to cool slightly

Separate 1 egg, dropping the white into a separate bowl and putting the yolk into the center of the sauce. At once beat the yolk into the sauce with a wire whip. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, one by one.

Beat the egg whites 30 seconds until foamy, add cream of tartar and pinch of salt. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle in the 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overbeat. Set aside.

Beat the orange liqueur, vanilla and orange zest into the sauce. Stir in a fourth of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared molds leaving a generous space between the top of the soufflé and the rim of the mold. If the mold is too full, the soufflé will spill over as it rises.

Place the molds on a baking sheet (if desired), place on the second-lowest rack of the oven, and immediately turn the oven down to 375 degrees.

For minis, bake 8 to 9 minutes or until tops are puffed and golden (or test with a straw: it should come out clean when plunged into the soufflé through the side of the puff). Remove from oven and sift powdered sugar on top. Serve immediately.

Serve immediately. Can be served with unsweetened whipped cream.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories212Fat9 gSodium139 mg

Carbohydrates23 gSaturated fat4 gCalcium60 mg

Protein7 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g