Soufflé
A cheese soufflé is the height of luxury, and it’s not that hard to make if you pay attention. The ingredients:
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ tablespoons flour
- ½ cup milk (whole)
- 2 eggs, separated
- ¼ to 1/3 cup grated cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- ½ teaspoon mustard (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Optional: ¼ tspn cream of tartar
Pre-heat your oven to 220°C. Grease two 1-cup soufflé dishes with butter and dust with parmesan. Melt 1½ tablespoon butter over medium-low heat, add flour and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Heat milk in the microwave at medium power for 30 seconds. Whisk in milk and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened.
Whisk together egg yolks and spices, then add to sauce mixture, whisking steadily to avoid scrambling the eggs. Stir in the cheese, melt and mix thoroughly. Mix in any additional ingredients, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Beat egg whites to medium-stiff peaks. If you’re not using a copper egg bowl, add cream of tartar. Thoroughly fold 1/3 of whites into sauce mixture. Lightly fold mixture back into remaining whites.
Pour into soufflé dishes, place in oven, reduce heat to 190°C, and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Don’t open the oven for the first 20 minutes!
Croissant
There’s nothing nicer than a croissant hot out of the oven. Just eat buttered, or slice and fill with your favourite additions. You might think croissants are fiddly to make, but they’re worth it – if you have the time.
Ingredients:
- 1¼ teaspoons dry yeast
- 3 T warm water (45°C)
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1¾ C flour
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2/3 C warm milk
- 2 T oil
- 2/3 C unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 T water
Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy. Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise about 3 hours. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 35×20 cm rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 5 mm margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 35×15 cm rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, put dough in a plastic bag and chill 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 35×15 cm rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
To shape, roll dough out to a 50×12 cm rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 38×13 cm rectangle. Cut into three 13×13 cm squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point to 18 cm. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
Bake in a preheated 245°C oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
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