“The only thing that will make a souffle fall is if it knows you're afraid of it.” James Beard

Souffle's are notoriously temperamental, or so I am told, as it is common knowlege.  Having an overload of egg whites I decided to make one.  It was not as difficult as everyone says.  Let me start with what I could have improved on.  I think that using ramekins or a souffle pan instead of a spring form pan would give better temperature evenness.  I also think I over compensated for the temperature discrepancy in my oven and had it too hot which created a kind of tough exterior.  Barring those two issues I look forward to making souffles in the future.  Those of you who know me know that I consider recipes mere guidelines and have a hard time following them.  After consulting the WorldWideWeb, the Joy of Cooking and a number of other resources I determined my course of action.  Trying to write it down sounds like a lot of steps, but the hardest part is not peeking as my oven door does not have a window.  I will try to give the best approximation of what I did though I would probably suggest following a proven recipe your first time.

BACON STILTON SOUFFLE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 rasher bacon

1/4 c flour

2 c milk

4 oz stilton

1/2 t pepper

8 egg whites

1 T butter

1/4 c bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1)  preheat oven to 375

2)  chop up and cook bacon

3)  mix flour to cover bacon

4)  mix in milk and bring to boil stirring frequently

5)  turn off heat and stir in cheese and pepper to melt it and cool sauce

6)  use butter to completely coat inside of souffle pan then coat with bread crumbs to cover and shake out excess

7)  beat egg whites to stiff peaks

8)  gently fold egg whites into bechamel in 3 additions

9)  pour mixture into souffle pan

10)  place souffle pan in a pan to make a water bath

11)  place in oven and put 1-2" of water in pan

12)  bake for approximately 1 hour- do not peek before 30 minutes

13) souffle is done when the top is dry and firm

14) remove from oven and serve imediately as the souffle starts falling the moment it is removed from the oven

Julia's Biscotti

This comes from my beloved mother in law.   This biscotti will last for a week easily, if you don't eat it all first. It has only lasted more than a few days in my house because it was misplaced. INGREDIENTS 1/2 c butter 2 T olive oil 3 egg yolks 3 eggs 1 1/2 c sugar ( I prefer the rich flavor of raw sugar) 1 T anise seed 1/2 T vanilla 1/2 t almond extract ( if almond is not a good option try anise extract instead) 5 c flour 5 t baking powder  3/4 t salt DIRECTIONS 1)  preheat oven to 375 2)  melt butter and cool by adding olive oil 3)  beat eggs until soft and foamy 4)  mix sugar into eggs until thickened and lemon color 5)  mix in oil butter mixture then slowly add anise seed, vanilla and almond extract 6)  sift together flour, baking powder and salt then mix into wet ingredients in about 3 additions 7)  divide dough into half and like cookie sheet with parchment paper 8)  form two long, flat bars the length of the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes 9)  cut each bar crossways into 16 cookies and lay on cut sides then bake for 10 more minutes 10)  cool and serve