Soak roll in boiling milk and beat to a paste.  Mix with cheese and egg yolks.  When smooth and thickened fold in the egg whites and fill ramekins, tins, cups or paper forms and slowly bake until puffed up and golden-brown.

 New England Cheese Puffs

1 cup sifted flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 2 egg yolks, beaten lemon-yellow 1/2 cup milk 1 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese 2 egg whites, beaten stiff but not dry

Sift dry ingredients together, mix yolks with milk and stir in.  Add cheese and when thoroughly incorporated fold in the egg whites to make a smooth batter.  Drop from a big spoon into hot deep fat and cook until well browned.

     Caraway seeds are sometimes added.  Poppy seeds are also used, and
     either of these makes a snappier puff, especially tasty when
     served with soup.

     A few drops of tabasco give this an extra tang.

 Cream Cheese Puffs

1/2 pound cream cheese 1 cup milk 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Soften cheese by heating over hot water.  Remove from heat and add milk, eggs and seasoning.  Beat until well blended, then pour into custard cups, ramekins or any other individual baking dishes that are attractive enough to serve the puffs in.

RAMEKINS OR RAMEQUINS

Some Ramekin dishes are made so exquisitely that they may be collected like snuff bottles.

Ramekins are utterly French, both the cooked Puffs and the individual dishes in which they are baked.  Essentially a Cheese Puff, this is also au gratin when topped with both cheese and browned bread crumbs.  By a sort of poetic cook’s license the name is also applied to any kind of cake containing cheese and cooked in the identifying one-portion ramekin.  It is used chiefly in the plural, however, together with the name of the chief ingredient, such as “Chicken Ramekins” and: 

 Cheese Ramekins I

2 eggs 2 tablespoons flour 1/8 pound butter, melted 1/8 pound grated cheese

     Mix well and bake in individual molds for 15 minutes.

 Cheese Ramekins II

3 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated cheese 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1-1/2 cups milk

Mix the first four dry ingredients together, stir eggs into the milk and add.  Stir to a smooth batter and bake in buttered ramekins, standing in water, in moderate oven.  Serve piping hot, for like Souffles and all associated Puffs, the hot air will puff out of them quickly; then they will sink and be inedible.

TWO ANCIENT ENGLISH RECIPES, STILL GOING STRONG

 Cheese Ramekins III