• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
• Use the softened butter to generously grease 4/6 ramekins. Set them aside in the refrigerator while you make the soufflé. (Note 4)

  1½ tablespoons butter

  
  
  
  
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir into the butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture smells like freshly baked cookies.

  4 tablespoons butter

  ⅓ cup plain all-purpose flour

  
  
  
  
• Remove the pan from the heat, and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 2 minutes until very thick and smooth.

  1 cup milk

  
  
  
  
• Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• While the mixture is cooling, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

  3 egg whites

  
  
  
  
• Add the cheese, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the sauce. Then, using a metal spoon, add one large spoonful of the egg whites and mix together vigorously. (Note 5)

  1 cup shredded cheese

  3 egg yolks

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon pepper

  pinch nutmeg

  
  
  
  
• Gently tip the cheese mixture into the egg whites and use the metal spoon to fold them together. They don't need to be fully mixed. Streaks of white and yellow are fine.
• Spoon the mixture into the greased ramekins, using the metal spoon to smooth the tops lightly.
• Place the ramekins into a deep roasting/baking dish and carefully pour boiling/very hot water into the dish until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.
• Remove the roasting dish from the oven and let everything cool slightly. As soon as you can touch the ramekins, remove them from the water bath and let the souffles cool in the ramekins for at least 20 minutes. They will sink and look very sad at this point - don't stress! The magic happens in the second bake.
• Carefully run a table knife around the edge of each ramekin and gently tip the souffles into the palm of your hand.
• If you are cooking them later the same day, place them on a plate (or the final serving dish), lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed. Or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze until needed.

Second Bake

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/450ºF.
• Place the souffles into an ovenproof dish(s). (Note 6)
• Pour the cream around the souffles, then sprinkle the cheese over the cream and a little on top of each souffle.

  1 cup heavy whipping cream

  ½ cup shredded cheese

  
  
  
  
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until the soufflé is puffed up and the cream is gently bubbling.
• Serve immediately.