Connie Finkelman

Recipes

Cheese Soufflé

  • 2 tbsp butter (+ more to grease the soufflé dish)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup cold milk
  • freshly ground nutmeg and a dash of cayenne to taste
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  1. Heavily butter a 1-quart soufflé dish and coat the inside with parmesan cheese (or flour, but this won't be as yummy).

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  3. In a 2-cup pyrex measure, melt the butter in the microwave, then add the flour and cook for another 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until the mixture is very thick. It should be at least as thick as pudding. Whisk until smooth and add seasonings. Cool slightly.

  4. Pour out into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the egg yolks, then stir in the grated cheese until everything is well mixed. 

  5. Fold in the egg whites, making sure you lift all the heavy cheese mixture off the bottom of the bowl and lighten it with the egg whites. If you don't, this heavy stuff will come out last and be at the top of your soufflé, reducing its ability to rise. 

  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish and smooth the top.

  7. Bake about 35-40 minutes without opening the oven door. The top will be nicely browned, at it should have risen about an inch over the top of the dish.

If cutting the recipe in half use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Reduce cooking time to about 30 minutes. You can also make these in individual ramekins or even coffee cups, but reduce the cooking time accordingly.

Chocolate Lava Cake

  • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Vanilla ice cream and optional fresh raspberries for serving

  1. Rub butter on the inside of  two 2 silicone cups and set aside. (You can use ramekins or even coffee cups if you don't have silicone cups)

  2. In a glass bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Microwave it for about a minute, or until all the butter is melted, then remove it and stir. The chocolate should still be slightly unmelted, since it will continue to melt after it is out of the microwave and you don't want to overcook it. (You can always heat it more later if it didn't melt thoroughly.)

  3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt until pale and fluffy–about 5 minutes. Don't worry, though, since you can't go wrong here with the time.

    Using a large spatula, gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the eggs until smooth and blended. Using a strainer, sift half of the flour over the batter and gently fold together until just blended, then repeat with the remaining flour.

  4. Divide the batter among the prepared cups. At this point you can refrigerate it until ready to serve, up to 2 days, or if serving the same day you can leave it out, covered.

  5. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400ºF. Place the cups on a baking sheet and bake until the tops are just firm when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for a couple of minutes, then run a knife around the inside of the cup and invert on a plate. If using a coffee cup it can be served in the cup.

    Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and raspberries.