Cheese and Herb Souffle

As I stood in my kitchen late Saturday afternoon, about to turn on my mixer to beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, I had a brief flash in my mind. Am I crazy to be attempting this with two toddlers in the house?

Well, too late to back out now.

Cheese & Herb Souffle (serves 4 as a main dish)

1 cup milk
1/2 small onion, peeled
bay leaf
3 eggs, separated, plus 1 egg white
3oz shredded cheese
a handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped
Parmesan for dusting
salt & pepper

A little bit too brown, as in the process of calling everyone to the table, it was discovered the little one needed his diaper changed. And souffle isn't something that really makes males flock to the table. Now, call out "Steak's ready!" and it's a different story.

I had envisioned a nice green salad on the side, but Hubs forgot to buy lettuce on his errands, so we just had fresh chopped veggies instead.

My first souffle! Easier than I thought. And the kids were only locked in the basement for 30 minutes.

Thyme Gougere

I've made these a couple of times now, and while they aren't the prettiest gougere I've ever seen, they sure do taste fantastic. (I'm sure I just need to work on my execution) The first time I made them, they were giant, and I ended up serving them instead of dinner rolls with our late Thanksgiving dinner. The second time, I made them a day in advance, piping them out of a pastry bag, and reheating them in my Mum's warming oven for Christmas Day hors d'ouveres. While I like traditional, Gruyere gougeres, the addition of thyme gives them a fresh, savoury bite that just seems to work.

Thyme Gougere (makes 45-50)

6 Tbsp butter
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1 cup flour
3 large eggs
4 oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
small handful fresh thyme, chopped
milk for brushing

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, water, salt and pepper to a boil. Pull from the heat.

Dump the flour in all at once and beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. You will see the mixture pull away from the sides of the pan and form a ball.  Put the pan back on low heat and beat for a minute, drying the paste a bit. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition. Look for a smooth, glossy and soft paste that falls easily from the spoon.

Stir in the cheese and thyme.

Using a pastry bag, or spoon, form 1" balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with milk. Bake approximately 25-35 minutes, until puffed up and lightly browned.

Enjoy! Little bites of airy yumminess.