Apple Cheese Soufflés
I grew up in the suburbs of Montréal and was fortunate that both of my parents were amazing home cooks. We had many dishes from different parts of the world. I remember my first Paella that my mother made or Chop Suey we enjoyed during the winter months. Manicotti was another family favorite and I can go on and on with many others.
Although they cooked other cuisines, French was the preferred one. What is considered “fine dining” was the food we were eating at home like Bouillabaisse, Coquilles St Jacques, Boeuf Bourguignon, Blanquette de Veau, and so on. Soufflés was one of them and when I moved out on my own, I decided to give it a shot. It wasn’t obvious but eventually I got better at it. This is when I created my Apple Cheese Soufflés!
I served this scrumptious dish as a brunch item, an appetizer as well as a dessert. It’s not too sweet and slightly savory too. These Apple Cheese Soufflés can also be made to your liking. If you want to make them more like a dessert, add more sugar or a touch of cinnamon/nutmeg. For a stronger savory dish, crack some black pepper over the apples while cooking, or increase the amount of hot paprika…
There are a few things to know to make a perfect soufflé because it’s actually a bit technical. As you might know, a soufflé is all about trapping some air so it rises nicely. The direct translation of “soufflé” in French is inflated… makes sense now, right?
– First take the eggs out of the fridge for at least 1 ½ hours. Cold egg whites won’t rise as much as room temperature ones.
– Use a clean stainless steel bowl and when beating the egg whites, use a hand mixer. There’s nothing stopping you from doing it manually but, I’m telling you, you’ll get tired.
– Add a small pinch of cream of tartar although I’ve heard that lemon juice is also a good substitute (I’ve never tried it so don’t take my word for it).
– I use my cocottes because… well let’s be honest, they’re so cute! The volume of each is 8 ounces and I’m making 4 servings. Using ramekins is fine but if you opt for these, the volume is usually about 4 ounces so you’ll have enough for 8 servings.
– When I butter them, I make sure the bottom is well coated and when it comes to the sides, I start from the bottom and go up, rotating the cooking vessels as I go. My mother was doing this with great results. The only logical explanation about it is probably less resistance to rise. Has it been proven to be the reason? I honestly don’t know…
– For this Apple Cheese Soufflés recipe, I sprinkle parmesan cheese inside my cooking vessels including the sides. This helps the apple mixture to grab on and climb up. You can always substitute fine breadcrumbs. When making soufflés for dessert, use granulated sugar.
– I like to cool my sauce off before adding egg yolks so it doesn’t cook the yolks; 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient. The same applies with my apple mixture.
– When I incorporate the beaten egg whites to the sauce mixture, I do it 2 times and fold it in GENTLY. If this step is done too abruptly, the air will be knocked out which contradicts the purpose of making a soufflé.
– Place your cooking vessels on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. If you don’t have a mat, be very careful when moving them around.
– You know the saying – “Do what I say, don’t do what I do”. In the video, I should’ve removed the rack and only used the bottom one.
– Do NOT open the oven door. Let them be, let them rise peacefully! Tape the door shut if you have to but don’t open it otherwise the few seconds you open it is enough to bring the cool kitchen air in the oven and deflate them.
– Talking about air; my soufflés stayed up for about 5 to 7 minutes, long enough to serve to my guests, hear the “ooohs and ahhhs” and then they slowly make their way down. I don’t care if the temperature outside is 38ºC/100ºF, the patio door is closed and so are all the windows near the kitchen. If there’s a draft going thru or the temperature of your kitchen is way cooler, your soufflés might last a minute or less. When I make them, it’s either fall, a warm sunny winter day or during the spring time unless it’s not a hot humid summer day so I can close everything.
That’s it! I hope it’s not too difficult (please don’t roll your eyes)! Joking aside, making these Apple Cheese Soufflés is quite easy. Perhaps at first you might feel intimidated but after 2 or 3 times, you’ll be thinking why you were so nervous about making them in the first place. As a clumsy cook in the kitchen, if I can make them, so can you!
Theses Apple Cheese Soufflés are incredibly delicious! Light and fluffy, they can be served for any sitting/course as the taste is just perfect for any of them. As I mentioned above, add more sweetness to them and now you have a dessert…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious breakfast and brunch recipes…
– Breakfast Sausage Muffin Cups
– Soufflé Mexican Omelet
– Quiche Lorraine
– Pancetta Vegetable Frittata
– Eggs Benedict
– Breakfast Burritos
and for even more elegant recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Elegant Cuisine
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Apple Cheese Soufflés
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Ingredients
APPLE MIXTURE
- 2 large apples such as Fuji or Granny Smith, cored, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
SAUCE
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold half-and-half
- 1/4 tsp. hot paprika
- 1 pinch ground Himalayan pink salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 3 large free-run eggs, room temperature, yolks and whites separated
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
COCOTTES or RAMEKINS
- 1 1/2 tbsp. soft butter, or as needed
- 1/4 cup Grana Padano cheese, finely grated
Directions
APPLE MIXTURE
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. When it starts sizzling, add diced apples and sauté for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and salt; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated and the apples are soft enough to be broken with the tip of a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the apple mixture to a bowl to cool off; set aside.
SAUCE
- Return the skillet over medium heat and add butter. When melted and hot, add flour and whisk for 2 minutes to remove the raw taste.
- Slowly pour in half-and-half, whisking constantly until there are no lumps and the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and add paprika, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; whisk to incorporate.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl and set aside; cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and move the rack to the bottom.
- Line a baking dish with a silicone mat and set aside. Prep the cocottes or ramekins (*see below).
- Add 2 egg yolks and cheese to the sauce, stir to blend. Add the apple mixture and stir well; set aside.
- In a medium stainless steel bowl, add 3 egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, process until medium to stiff peaks form.
- Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the sauce and gently fold in until just incorporated. Add the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in gently until just mixed. Fill the prepared cooking vessels about ¾’s full and place them on the prepared baking dish.
- Transfer to the preheated oven on the bottom rack. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes if using ramekins (4 ounces each) or 25 to 28 minutes if using cocottes (8 ounces each). Serve immediately.
COCOTTES or RAMEKINS
- Prep the cooking vessels by coating the bottom with butter and then up the sides. Sprinkle Grana Padano cheese on the bottom and on the sides; set aside.
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This is just awesome. Apple cheese souffles are a different idea of making souffles. Also, eggs that are taken out 1 and half hours before baking, will give perfect results. Adding black pepper to it instead of nutmeg powder is a great choice. Cinnamon also makes a great combination because apple always goes well with cinnamon.
Hi 😀 It all depends when the soufflés will be served. If they’re an appetizer, cinnamon or nutmeg is not a great idea but as a dessert, these are the right choice. Enjoy your day🌞