Gorgeous Twice-baked Cheese Soufflés

Once you’ve mastered these little beauties, you’ll be impressing friends with them no end!

Makes 4 x 150ml ramekins

 For 1^st baking:

Melted butter & plain flour for coating ramekins

50g butter

2 heaped TB plain flour

300mls milk

50g grated Barrys Bay Aged Gouda (or other hard cheese) 

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

3 eggs, separated

¼ tsp salt, pinch of black pepper

For 2^nd  baking:

4 tablespoons thickened cream (or sour cream)

50g grated Barrys Bay Aged Gouda

What to do:

Preheat oven to 160 C. Rub 4 ramekins or other china moulds, with butter then dust with flour.

Make a roux: In a saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously while it cooks and thickens to a paste – about 1-2 minutes.

Take off the heat, whisk in the milk, a little at a time until it has all been added, then return to the heat and cook it, stirring with a wooden spoon, until you have a smooth and thick white sauce. Add cheese and stir until it has melted. Stir in the thyme and allow to cool slightly.

Lightly beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, then add these to the cheese sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper at this stage too. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold ¼ egg white mixture into the cheese sauce to ‘loosen’ it, then fold in the remaining egg white. Spoon the filling into the moulds to 2/3 full. Tap each on the bench to remove any big air bubbles.

Place ramekins in an oven dish to cook in a water bath, pouring enough boiling water into the dish (around the moulds) to come half way up the sides of the moulds.

Bake 20-25 minutes until they are ‘just set’. Remove ramekins from the water bath and leave to cool until just before ready to serve. Don’t worry if they collapse a little.

Before serving: Heat oven to 160 C.

Turn soufflés out onto a baking paper lined tray. Topped each with thickened cream and extra cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.