Ingredients

Step by step

1. For the sorbet, spread the sugar over the base of a large pan and place over a medium heat. Leave to melt without stirring, occasionally shaking the pan to help distribute any sugar that hasn’t melted. Once the sugar has melted and is light caramel in colour, carefully add the cranberries – be careful as it will splutter slightly. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to break down. Add 200ml water and bring to the boil. At this point, any chunks of hardened sugar should melt away. Simmer for 3 minutes, leave to cool, then add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a blender, whiz until smooth, then pass through a sieve and chill. Once chilled, churn in an ice-cream maker. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, place in the freezer and stir every hour until frozen.
2. Meanwhile, start on the brandy anglaise. Combine the cream, milk, split vanilla pod and scraped vanilla seeds in a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Remove the vanilla pod, then pour the cream mixture over the eggs, whisking well to combine. Return everything to the pan and simmer, stirring constantly, using a cook’s thermometer to check when you’ve got to 85°C. Transfer to a bowl to cool and whisk in the brandy. For the soufflé base, crumble the Christmas pudding into a blender and add 40g of the brandy anglaise. Blend until smooth and set aside in a bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Brush the melted butter around the inside of four 150ml ramekins, then dust with 20g of the caster sugar, shaking out the excess.
4. Whisk the egg whites on full speed in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer). Once you reach stiff peaks, gradually add the remaining 50g of sugar, whisking until glossy. Fold a large spoonful into the soufflé base with a spatula to loosen the mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whisked egg whites. Spoon into the prepared ramekins, smooth off the top and then run your thumb and forefinger around the rim of each one to help with the rise. Bake for 6-9 minutes or until golden and risen. Meanwhile, gently warm the remaining brandy anglaise on the hob.
5. Serve the soufflés immediately with a scoop of the cranberry sorbet and the anglaise.