Tag: cheese souffle

Cauliflower and Aged Gouda Soufflé

Cauliflower and Aged Gouda Soufflé

Cauliflower and Aged Gouda Soufflé

These delightful soufflés are perfect for a springtime luncheon! 36 month-aged Gouda from the Netherlands adds nutty, butterscotch flavors and an interesting salt crystal crunchy texture. This flavorful cheese pairs well with a full-bodied complex Alsatian Pinot Gris.

The soufflés are super easy to prepare, and bake up to a puffed golden brown in 35 minutes. Served with a pretty side salad, they make a lovely light lunch…or easily double the recipe and serve them on a platter as part of a buffet because, as a bonus, the soufflés hardly deflate so they are excellent for entertaining.

Cauliflower Soufflé Recipe

Continue reading “Cauliflower and Aged Gouda Soufflé”

The Easiest Soufflé You’ll Ever Make

Maman's Cheese Souffle by Jacques Pepin

Maman’s Cheese Soufflé by Jacques Pépin

A little while back, I came across the most charming video of Jacques Pépin with Kristen Milgore demonstrating his mother’s easy cheese soufflé recipe. Their camaraderie was endearing, the unstuffy homey cooking style was refreshing, the rustic soufflé was mouthwatering…and they enjoyed the finished product with a tumbler of chilled white wine. I simply could not, not try it!

Maman's Cheese Souffle by Jacques Pepin

Jacques tells the story of Maman’s Cheese Soufflé:

“When my mother got married, she was 17 and my father was 22. She did not know how to cook, except for a few simple dishes that she had learned from her mother. Yet she was willing and fearless.

My father liked cheese soufflé, so my mother graciously obliged. She had never made a soufflé before, but a friend told her that it consisted of a white sauce (bechamel), grated cheese and eggs — a cinch!

To the bechamel, that staple of the French home cook, she added her grated Swiss cheese and then cracked and added one egg after another to the mixture, stirred it well, poured it into a gratin dish, and baked it in the oven.

Viola! No one had told her that the eggs should be separated, with the yolks added to the base sauce and the whites whipped to a firm consistency and then gently folded into the mixture.

Ignorance is bliss, and in this case it was indeed: The soufflé rose to a golden height and become a family favorite. This is a great recipe; it can be assembled hours or even a day ahead, and although it is slightly less airy than a standard soufflé, it is delicious.”

Maman’s Cheese Soufflé by Jacques Pépin

Continue reading “The Easiest Soufflé You’ll Ever Make”

Soufflés au Comté

Hello cheese lover! Comté. Soufflé. We are in heaven.
♥ ♥ ♥
A bit about this cheese: First of all, Comté (pronounced con-tay) is produced in France in the Jura mountains bordering Switzerland.
The farmers raise Montbéliarde cows (95% of the herds) or French Simmental (5%), and feed them a natural diet based on fresh grass during the summer months and hay during the winter.
The flora in the Jura Massif is very diverse and, depending on where they are located, cows may graze on different plants. This is reflected in the milk and, ultimately, in the varying flavours of the cheese.
Each day the farmers deliver their milk to their local fruitière (cheesemaking house). Each fruitière has its own distinct profile related to the aromatic characteristics of the Comté that it produces. These aromatic characteristics reflect the terroir (or soil, climate, flora, etc.) of where the cheese is produced.
One fruitière is characterized by aromas of melted butter, milk chocolate, hazelnuts and fudge. When the cheeses are aged beyond 15 months, aromas of toast, plum compote, leather, pepper and dark chocolate are apparent.

Another produces Comté that is dominated by butterscotch aromas with a hint of toast, followed by fruity aromas such as hazelnut, roasted nuts, sweet orange juice and ripe apricot. With longer aging, the aromas of hazelnut and orange become more pronounced.

I cannot read these descriptors and not pine for this cheese. For more information please visit comte.com. It’s a very informative site (and you’ll get a kick out of the picture of the cows)!
Overview of Steps to Make a Soufflé


Melt butter, add flour whisking for 2 minutes,
then whisk in milk.
Let cool slightly, add egg yolks.

Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Fold in grated Comté.
(I spy Tomato Tarte Tatin waiting in the background).

Beat egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.

Gently fold egg whites into the béchamel mixture.

Fill ramekins (buttered, chilled, with grated cheese on bottom) with soufflé batter. Sprinkle more grated cheese on top and bake at 400°F until golden. Resist temptation to open the oven door while they cook. When they are done, serve immediately!
I hope Fr. Adam and I are able to convey here how easily done, fun, and satisfying it is to make cheese soufflés. We thoroughly enjoyed the process. Perhaps you’ll find this overview inspiring? The recipe we used comes from the engaging Chocolate & Zucchini Cookbook. We’d love to hear about your favorite soufflés too, as there are definitely more soufflés in our future!