100 Year Old Souffle

Submitted by Steven L.

"This is a simple recipe passed down for over 100 years in my family."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Sprinkle in flour.
3. Add milk.
4. Stir until thickened.
5. Add grated cheese.
6. Pour mixture over beaten egg yolks.
7. Fold in beaten egg whites.
8. Pour into buttered ramekins.
9. Run thumb around lip of ramekins.
10. Bake for exactly 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Reviews

[shimmerchk]

Honestly, this souffle is absolutely delicious. Although, the ingredients make a fantastic dish, the instructions need a bit of work. If a person had never made a souffle before, this recipe would be a disaster. It needs to be clear that the egg whites need to be whipped in a separate bowl to a stiff peak and that the yolks should be whisked together in a larger, separate bowl to allow room for incorporating the cheese sauce and egg whites. To avoid scorching the cheese sauce, it needs to be stated that the butter should be melted over medium heat before adding the flour and that the flour should be whisked in thoroughly with the butter. I did not let the butter/flour mixture cook very long before adding milk that I had warmed in the microwave which helps avoid the lumps you get if you add cold milk. If you incorporate the milk in small batches and whisk thoroughly each time, it yields the smooth sauce necessary for a souffle. There is no mention when to add the salt, so I added it into the cheese sauce mixture along with fresh ground pepper and a pinch of garlic powder. Before adding the sauce to the eggs, they need to be tempered so as not to scramble them. I whisked about a 1/8 cup of the warm cheese sauce into the egg yolks to temper, before whisking in the rest of the sauce. The egg whites should be folded in very gently in two batches so as not to lose the air you have just incorporated. Also, to get a tall souffle that does not spill over the sides, take a strip of foil and butter it. Wrap the foil around the souffle dish (butter side on the inside) like a collar that will stand a good 6 inches or so above the souffle dish. This really did take exactly 30 minutes to bake. The urge to open the door and check it should be resisted so as not to have the souffle fall too early on. It comes out beautifully and it is absolutely delicious, with a nice cheese flavor in each fluffy bite. It melts in your mouth and is just wonderful. I sprinkled with chives before serving. Imagine my surprise when my picky 2 year old wanted to try it and ended up eating more than I did. With these instructions added to the recipe, I would rate this 5 stars!

 

[recipeglutton]

This is a good basic recipe. I can't wait to vary it!

 

[Missy Wombat]

This was my first ever attempt at any kind of souffle because it seemed perfect for a quick dinner in front of the TV with the kids. It is very easy to prepare as long as you assume that the egg whites need to be well beaten. I didn't temper the eggs with the sauce and got away with it as I move fast! I have a small convection oven so I went for 23 minutes and then left the souffles in the oven for another 5 minutes.

 

[bthompson]

Very easy to make if you know how to separate eggs and beat egg whites. Fortunately, I do :) My wife and I ate the whole souffle for dinner by ourselves.