Party-perfect light-as-air souffles for the Oscars

What to serve at this year’s Oscar party? I had no clear idea about the right dish until I glanced at a list of the movies in contention.

“Gravity” jumped out at me. Watching the trailer, I was a little alarmed at the sight of poor Sandra Bullock floating around in space. But I was inspired by her weightlessness. It made me think of souffles, which are famously light thanks to all the whipped egg whites in them. Thus, these “anti-gravity” — not anti-“Gravity” — treats.

Still, a problem remained: How to turn a full-blown souffle into a tasty nibble for a party?

The solution: Make each small enough to fit into a mini-phyllo shell. These days you should be able to find mini-phyllo shells in the freezer section of your supermarket. Take them home, fill them, bake them, and they’re good to go.

And if you can’t find them pre-made, they’re easy to make at home. Just stack four sheets of phyllo dough on top of one other, lightly spritzing each sheet with olive oil cooking spray as you stack. Cut the stacked sheets into 3-inch squares, ease the stacks into the cups of a mini-muffin pan, then bake at 375 F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they’re barely golden at the edges. Let them cool before filling and baking.

What about that filling? I considered a chocolate souffle or an orange souffle or a broccoli souffle. But I opted for lusciousness of a cheese souffle because after all we’re talking about the Oscars here, which is not exactly a model of restraint. Still, there’s no reason to chump ourselves, so I went with goat cheese, which is relatively lean even as it boasts tangy flavor and creamy texture. I also added some Parmigiano-Reggiano, because even a little of this rich bruiser delivers big impact.

Goat Cheese Pyllo Bites

Start to finish: 30 minutes (15 minutes active); Makes 45 bites

Phyllo pastry cups are widely available in the freezer section of most grocers, usually near the pastry and frozen fruit.

3 packages (each package contains 15 cups) phyllo pastry cups

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup 1 percent milk

4-ounce log soft goat cheese, crumbled

1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Pinch of cream of tartar

45 fresh dill, tarragon or miniature fresh basil sprigs

or snipped chives

Heat the oven to 375F. Arrange the phyllo cups on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the egg yolk, the mustard and salt and pepper, to taste, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat both egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir a third of the whites into the sauce, then fold in the remaining whites, gently but thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the phyllo cups. Bake on the oven’s middle shelf until they are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and some herbs, then serve immediately.

Nutrition information per bite: 30 calories; 15 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 2 g fat (0.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 1 g protein; 55 mg sodium.