Ingredients

• 250g/9oz frozen blackberries
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• 2 Bramley apples
• peeled
• cored and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• squeeze of lemon juice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 nutmeg
• grated
• 40g/1½oz softened butter
• for greasing
• 115g/4oz caster sugar
• 175ml/6fl oz milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• split lengthways
• 4 medium free-range eggs
• separated
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 6 biscuits
• such as gingernuts
• soaked in a splash of brandy or whisky (optional)

Directions

• For the blackberry coulis
• put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Bring to the boil
• then simmer for about five minutes
• or until the berries break down. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Tip the fruit mixture into a blender and blend to a purée
• then strain through a sieve
• rubbing it through with the back of a spoon. Set aside until ready to serve.
• For the apple purée
• put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and heat gently
• stirring occasionally until the apples break down. Allow to cool slightly and then blend to a smooth purée
• either using a hand-blender
• or by tipping the mixture into a food processor or blender. Store any leftovers from this recipe in the fridge and use as sauce for roast pork or serve with yoghurt for breakfast.
• For the soufflé
• butter four individual 10cm/4in soufflé dishes using upward strokes to encourage the soufflé mixture to rise. Coat the insides with 40g of the sugar.
• Heat the milk and 20g/¾oz of the sugar in a small pan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod and bring slowly to the boil
• stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk the egg yolks and 15g/½oz of the sugar in a bowl to a ribbon consistency. (Ribbon consistency is when the egg yolks and sugar have thickened and increased in volume to a point where a trail of the mixture holds on the surface for a second before merging back in.) Stir in the flour. Pour the hot milk onto the yolks
• stirring continuously with a whisk. Return to the pan and whisk over a low heat for one minute
• then pour into a bowl
• cover with cling film
• and cool slightly. Stir in two tablespoons of the apple purée once cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a baking tray inside to heat.
• Ensure that your whisking equipment is clean and free from grease - otherwise it may prevent the egg whites from rising. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until thick and frothy
• then add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites form soft peaks when the whisk is removed from the bowl. It is crucial not to over-beat the egg whites. Immediately and confidently whisk one-third of the egg whites into the apple mixture
• then delicately fold in the rest with a large spoon.
• Divide the mixture between the soufflé dishes to come level with the rim
• burying the biscuits (if using) in the middle. Stand on the hot baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes
• or until risen a 2.5cm/1cm over the top of the dish and the top is golden-brown. Overcooking will cause the soufflés to collapse. Serve the soufflés as soon as they come out of the oven on warm plates. Make a well in the middle of the soufflé and pour in the coulis.