Blackberry soufflé

Method

1. Grease 4 ramekins with butter, then swirl a teaspoon of sugar in each to coat the base and sides and tip out any excess. Chill the moulds until needed.

2. In a medium saucepan warm the puree, then mix the cornflour with the liqueur and stir it in. Gently bubble the puree for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly.

3. In a heavy-based medium saucepan, gently heat 100g sugar together with the water, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves. Once there are no sugar crystals visible, boil the sugar syrup to 120C on a sugar thermometer (the hard ball stage), then carefully add to the puree and cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and place a baking sheet inside to heat up. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they start to hold their shape, then whisk in the remaining sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time, until it is all incorporated and the meringue is shiny. Pour the puree into a large bowl, stir in a large spoonful of the meringue to loosen, then carefully fold in the rest of the whites in a couple of additions.

5. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and push a couple of blackberries into the centre of each. Bake on the preheated tray for 10 minutes or until the soufflés have puffed up, making sure to keep the oven closed until the soufflés have risen. Serve the hot soufflés immediately with a few more berries on the side.