Elsies Welsh Rarebit

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound hard hoop cheese or extra-sharp Cheddar
• grated (2 cups)
• 3 large eggs
• separated
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pain de campagne or favorite rustic bread
• lightly toasted

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, egg yolks, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish.
3. Set aside.
4. Whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.
5. Add one third of the egg whites to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
6. Then fold in the remaining egg whites.
7. Put the bread slices in a baking dish and spread the cheese mixture over them.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is puffy and bubbly-brown around the edges.
9. I like a big dollop of Major Greys chutney on the side in winter or sliced tomatoes in summer.
10. Hard hoop cheese is a waxed-rind cheese sometimes called rat trap cheese.
11. Hoop cheese was widely available in groceries, cut to order on a special hoop cheese cutter.
12. It is made by pressing fresh cheese curds into a round mold, hence the name hoop.