These beautiful soufflés are double baked and end up all cheesy and creamy and just divine!

Ingredients
500ml milk 
1 onion 
1 bay leaf 
Pinch of nutmeg 
60g butter 
60g flour 
1 tsp mustard (English or Dijon)  
4 eggs 
200g cheddar cheese (I like Tickler) 
200ml double cream 

Method
Roughly chop the onion and put into a milk saucepan with  the milk, bay leaf and nutmeg, bring up to the boil, turn off and put to one side. 

Preheat your oven to 180c. 

Butter 9 ramekin dishes. 

Now grate 120g of your cheese and then separate your egg yolks from the whites.  Top tip - I separate each egg individually over a small bowl and then transfer the egg white into the mixer bowl.  I do this so that should any of the egg yolks break you only ruin 1 egg, not all 4. 

Make your roux by melting your butter in a saucepan, add your flour and cook for 1 min constantly stirring with a whisk.  Gradually add your milk, straining it as you go to remove the onion etc.  Once all of the milk is added bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 to thicken. 

Take off of the heat and add the mustard and the grated cheese and stir until the cheese has all melted.  Taste for seasoning, adjust and then add your egg yolks and thoroughly stir. 

Meanwhile whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks.  Now what you really need here is a dishing spoon as it is easier to cut and mix the egg whites in without losing the volume. Take one spoonful of the egg whites and mix in - this spoonful does not have to be carefully folded, this is just to slacken the mix a little.  Once this is mixed in, add the rest of the egg whites and you want to carefully cut and fold them in.  So scrape the large spoon around the edge of the bowl and ‘cut’ through the middle. Quarter turn the bowl and do the same.  You want to incorporate the egg whites without knocking the air out as it keeps the soufflés light and fluffy and will ensure a rise. 

Boil a full kettle. 

Put a ladle full of the cheesy egg mix into each ramekin. 

Put the ramekins into a large baking dish and pour the water into the baking dish being careful not to splash the soufflés.  Put into the oven for 15-20 mins until risen. 

Remove from the oven and don’t worry when they deflate - the beauty of double baking them is that they puff back up.  Take them out of the water but leave in the ramekins to cool.  You can make this a day ahead or a few hours ahead or, you can let them cool enough to handle and then carry on. 

For the second bake, get an oven dish that all of the soufflés will fit in to.  Take a ramekin, run your knife around the edge of your ramekin and then carefully ease them out, this will take some patience!  You want the top of the soufflé to be at the bottom of the dish.  When all of the soufflés are in, top with some of the cheese, the cream and finish with cheese. Bake for 15 mins until risen and golden. 

Serve with bacon, pear and walnut salad.

- Inspiration taken from this BBC Good Food recipe