Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz strawberries
• hulled
• 150g/6oz caster sugar
• plus extra for dusting
• 1 vanilla pod
• split lengthways
• 2½ tbsp cornflour
• soft butter
• for greasing
• 4 free-range egg whites
• sifted icing sugar
• to dust
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 100ml/3½fl oz boiling water
• 500g/1lb 2oz strawberries
• hulled
• 100g/4oz soft slightly salted butter
• 45g/2oz icing sugar
• sifted
• 125g/4½oz plain flour
• pinch salt

Directions

• To make the jam base for the soufflé
• blend the strawberries and 100g/4oz of the sugar in a blender or food processor to a pureé. Rub through a fine sieve into a heavy-bottomed pan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds from the pod. Bring to the boil over a medium heat
• whisking continuously. Stir the cornflour with about four tablespoons of water just to slacken
• then whisk into the strawberry pureé until the mixture thickens. Cool
• then chill.
• Brush the insides of four soufflé dishes that are 9cm/3½in diameter and 6cm/2½in deep with softened butter
• then dust with caster sugar. Chill.
• To make the sorbet
• dissolve the 100g/4oz sugar in the boiling water
• then simmer for two minutes to make a sugar syrup. Cool. In a blender or food processor
• blend the strawberries with the syrup to a pureé
• and rub through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cool
• then chill. Place in an ice cream maker and churn for 15-20 minutes to a soft scoop texture. Scoop out four neat scoops and freeze on a plate. (The rest of the sorbet can be kept in the freezer for two weeks.)
• To make the shortbread
• beat the butter and icing sugar together
• then gently mix in the flour and salt to make a dough. Roll into a cylinder about 5-6cm/2-2½in in diameter
• wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6. Cut the chilled dough into 5mm/¼in thick slices (12-14 slices) and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Slide onto a wire rack to cool and crisp. Leave the oven on.
• To finish the soufflé
• whisk the egg whites with the remaining 50g/2oz caster sugar to soft peaks. Fold into the soufflé jam base. Divide the mixture among the four dishes
• filling them to the top
• then level with the back of a knife. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until risen above the rim by half.
• Remove from the oven and immediately dust the tops with icing sugar. Set each soufflé on a large plate. Put a frozen scoop of sorbet and a piece of shortbread to the side. Serve at once.