Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 8 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 peppercorns
• 300ml/10fl oz milk
• 40g/1½oz butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 40g/1½oz plain flour
• 50g/1¾oz Stilton
• crumbled
• 75g/2½oz cheddar
• finely grated
• 3 free-range eggs
• separated
• grating fresh nutmeg
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 30g/1oz walnut halves
• roughly chopped
• 120ml/4fl oz double cream

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Lightly butter eight ramekin dishes and line the bases with a circle of baking paper.
• Peel the onion
• leaving the base intact. Press the cloves into the onion
• then put it in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns
• then pour in the milk. Heat gently until it comes to the boil
• then remove from the heat and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes. Strain the flavourings from the milk and discard them.
• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and continue cooking
• stirring all the time
• for 1–2 minutes. Slowly pour in the warm milk and beat well using a whisk until it comes to a simmer and you have a thick sauce.
• Crumble in the Stilton and add 50g/1¾oz of the grated cheddar
• then continue to stir over the heat until you have a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks
• nutmeg and thyme. Stir in the walnuts.
• In a clean glass bowl
• whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold a tablespoon of the beaten whites into the soufflé mixture. Add the rest of the whites and fold in well.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins to just below the top. Bake for 15–20 minutes
• or until risen and cooked. Leave to cool
• then run a knife around the sides to loosen them. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Turn out the soufflés on to the prepared baking sheet
• so they are bottom-side-up. If refrigerating and eating the following day
• cover with cling film.
• To finish the soufflés
• preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the soufflés and spoon a tablespoon of double cream over each one. Bake for 10 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Serve.