Every now and then you come across a recipe which you know you’ll make time and time again. This is one of those recipes.
I’ve never had twice baked soufflés before. In fact I’ve not had many soufflés at all before as I always choose something cake based for dessert in restaurants. Also soufflés have a notoriously bad press for being difficult and fiddly to make. These are the complete opposite. They are very easy and very, very cheesy.
Barber’s 1833 Vintage Cheddar Twice Baked Soufflés
You’ll need
- 6 ramekins
- 225ml whole milk
- 6 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 40g butter plus extra for greasing ramekins
- 40g plain flour
- 150g cheddar – I used Barber’s 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar
- 3 large eggs
- 100ml double cream
- A cucumber for side salad (optional)
To make them
- Preheat the oven to 180C and grease the ramekins with butter
- Toast the cumin seeds and set 2tsp aside to cool. Grind the rest to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar.
- Grate the cheddar and set aside.
- Put the milk and 2 tsp of the cumin seeds into a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Then strain into a jug.
- Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan and add the flour. Cook for about 1-2 minutes stirring continuously.
- Take this off the heat and gradually little by little stir in the milk.
- Pop this back on a low flame and gradually add all except 3 tbsp of the grated cheese and stir in til melted.
- Separate the eggs and stir in the yolks along with the ground cumin. It will be a thick choux pastry like texture.
- Take the pan off the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile whisk the egg whites til soft peaks form and then gently fold these into the cheesy mixture a little at a time.
- Pop a full kettle on to boil.
- Divide the soufflé mixture between your ramekins and then place them into a deep baking tray.
- Feel the baking tray with boiling water so that the water comes two thirds of the way up the ramekins.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. The soufflés should be well risen and firm.
- Take them out of the oven and the water bath and leave to cool.
- When you are ready to eat them, preheat the oven to 200C.
- Run a knife around the edges of the soufflés, which incidentally might have sunk which is perfectly fine.
- Turn them all out into an ovenproof dish, pour over the cream and then sprinkle over 3tbsp of grated cheddar that you set aside (and didn’t nibble on!). Sprinkle over a few more cumin seeds.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top.
I served this with long strands of cucumber tossed in sesame seeds and Za’atar. It worked really well to offset the creaminess.
Cucumber salad with Za’atar
Before going into the oven. The cheese grates beautifully
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Stunning looking recipe Urvashi – I’ll bookmark that for the next time I have guests over for a weekend lunch. Lots of interesting and bold flavours to warm the cockles of January!
Thank you. The cumin works so well. The original had bay and dill. I think this would work well with Ras Al Hanout too. Need to try that combo out myself.
” … have a notoriously bad press for being difficult and fiddly to make. These are the complete opposite.” I have read something like this today also in a different recipe. I tried it and … it didn’t turn out all that well. However, I believe you, when you say about these twice baked soufflés “They are very easy and very, very cheesy.” Yes, they look and sound very delicious and cheesy. That’s the kind of recipe I would try and be very pleased with.
Give it a go. Honestly I don’t have the patience for complex recipes as I don’t have time to experiment but I would quite happily make these on a weekend maybe and do the twice baking bit the following evening. Nice way to have a “gourmet” meal on a weekday when I don’t usually have time.
I simply must make souffle more often. They’re so satisfying and not really that difficult, I’m not sure why they have the reputation they do. Cucumber and za’atar pairing, inspired!
I know! I was rather terrified but the puffed up lovely on second bake and would have been fine to eat right away with just one bake. Yummy either way!
Stunning – love the addition of cumin there and the lovely za’atar salad on the side – bookmarked!
Thank you. I am rather obsessed with za’atar at the moment. In fact all things middle eastern after my Morocco trip
I have to get into making souffles, I am slightly scared of them which is daft.
I was too I must admit. But these are very forgiving!
Cheese soufflé is a real favourite of mine and these look wonderful.
Tahnk you. They were so easy to make. I’m a convert!