Apple & Cheddar Cheese Souffl�s � Great for People Who Stink at Folding Egg Whites

After doing such a great job folding the egg whites into this apple and cheddar souffl� batter, I celebrated by dropping a measuring cup into the bowl. By the time I fished it out, cleaned the sides of the bowl, and shook my fist at the heavens, I�d lost a lot of micro-bubbles.

I pressed on, and despite my tragic encounter with gravity, the resulting souffl�s were simply fabulous, which just goes to show that maybe we need to relax about this whole folding thing. Sure, more bubbles would make it go a little higher, but if you�ve never made a souffl� before, I hope this gives you some new-found courage.

By the way, I don�t know why most similar recipes call for extra egg whites. Actually, I do know; it�s to make them more visually impressive, but I think this dilutes the flavor. I use about half the egg whites normally called for, and these are still light as a feather.

If you decide to give these a whirl, please promise me you'll use a great cheddar. I used a sharp and creamy Cabot, but any other quality, aged cheddar will work. These apple cheddar souffl�s are very versatile, and would make a great appetizer, a special holiday brunch starter, or deliciously different dessert. I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4  (I used Le Creuset 4 3/4-ounce size):

For the apples:

1 tbsp butter, heated until edges start to turn brown

1 apple, cubed

1 tbsp sugar

For the batter:

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg

3 oz sharp white cheddar, or almost 1 cup grated

2 eggs, separated

Bake at 400 degrees F.  for about 22 minutes

*Assuming you don�t drop a measuring cup into your folded egg white fluffed batter, you should have about 2 cups of batter. You can divide each 1/2 cup portion into whatever sized ramekin you have, but a 4 3/4 to 5 oz size is ideal. Basically, when it�s fully puffed and browned, it�s done. And for goodness sake, serve very warm, but not piping hot!