Pistachio and chocolate soufflé

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 50ml/1¾fl oz milk
• 1 free-range egg yolks
• 30g/1oz caster sugar
• ½ tbsp cornflour
• 15g/½oz milk chocolate, melted
• ½ tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 free-range egg whites
• 30g/1oz pistachios, finely chopped
• icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Grease two glass ramekins and set aside.
3. Heat the vanilla, cream and milk in a pan until boiling.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
5. Whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and return to a low heat. Gently whisk in the cornflour and continue to cook, whisking continuously, until the custard has thickened.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate and cocoa.
7. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the sugar and whisk until glossy.
8. Carefully fold the egg whites into the custard.
9. Fold half of the chopped pistachios into the soufflé mixture. Spoon the mixture into the 2 ramekins.
10. Place each ramekin onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until well risen and golden-brown.
11. To serve, dust with icing sugar and sprinkle over the pistachios as quickly as possible before the soufflé deflates.