By Rachel Carlin
When I am not mentally menu planning for the fantasy Bistro that I wish I owned with my favourite girl cousin by marriage, I am taming ankle biters. I am very lucky that this is a job I love and that it brings me a lot of joy. It also allows me on a Tuesday to bring my other love, cooking, into the classroom.
Cooking with children doesn’t need to be dull. It doesn’t need to involve chocolates, sprinkles and E numbers. It can be fun, yummy for both big and small and strangely rewarding when no child is hurt in the making of the dish!
This is one of my favourites. I cannot seem to name it, so the working title is:
Simple Soufflés
Makes 6 little soufflés
Ingredients:
- 3 slices of white bread
- 2 eggs
- 200ml milk
- 100g cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Dried mixed herbs
- Some oil for brushing
Preheat the oven to 200 C
- Grate the cheese and place in a bowl. – Teacher’s tip – allow your young child to grate the cheese, but place your hand and fingers over theirs so they get the feeling and the motion of grating without the danger of shredding fingers.
- Using a regular size circle cookie cutter, cut out two circles from each slice of bread.
- Brush a muffin pan with some oil and then place the bread circle inside. This will form the base of your soufflé.
- In separate mixing bowls, break the eggs and separate.
- Whisk the egg yolks together very quickly until they turn creamy.
- In another bowl stiffen the whites, not to the peaks needed for meringues but allow them to hold shape.
- Add the milk, herbs, salt and pepper to the yolks and mix thoroughly.
- Add half the cheese and give a good mix.
- Gently fold in the whites.
- Carefully pour over the 6 muffin pans ensuring even distribution of the mixture.
- Top each mini soufflé with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes until golden.
And that’s it. A dollop of Mrs. Balls on the side is rather good.