Peach Crumble Soufflé

For the crumble, add all of the ingredients into a medium bowl, and use  your hands to rub the mixture between your fingers. Once the mixture has  broken down and you have a crumble texture, pour it onto a baking tray and  place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 175C, then place the tray into the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until it is a light golden colour. Set it aside to cool completely, then place it into a food processor and quickly pulse it to a fine crumb. Leave it at room temperature until you are ready to use it.

Increase the oven to 200C and slice the peaches in half. Remove the stone from the centre and place them skin-side down on a baking tray.

Drizzle some honey over the top of the peaches and add a sprinkling of light brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, or until caramelised around the edges. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the peaches to cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the soufflé base add the sugar and starches to a small bowl and whisk them to combine.

Add the fruit purées into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Once it reaches 40C on an instant read thermometer, add in the sugar mixture and whisk until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, cook for a further two minutes, before transferring it into a small bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate it for 30 minutes, or until cool to the touch.

Use a pastry brush to brush the insides of four 9 × 5.5cm ramekins with softened unsalted butter, using upward brushstrokes. Add in some sugar, swirl it around to coat the inside, and then tip out any excess and then set them aside.

Take the cooled peaches, and use a knife to chop them into small cubes. They will be slightly soft so don’t worry too much about the shape. Scoop the peaches into the base of each ramekin, splitting the amount evenly.

Remove the soufflé base from the fridge and add it into a large bowl; it should now be cool. Whisk it briefly to loosen the mixture. Preheat your oven to 160C, using the convection/fan-assisted function (don’t worry, the fan won’t blow over your soufflés).

Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar, and place this over a pan of gently simmering water, on a medium heat.

Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 45C on a digital thermometer. Remove it from the heat and place it onto your stand mixer.

Whisk on a medium speed for five minutes, or until the bowl is cool and the meringue holds a very stiff peak.

Add one third of the meringue to the soufflé base, and whisk it gently until there are no more lumps.

Add the remaining meringue in two parts, using a spatula to gently fold it in until there are no more streaks of meringue.

Add the mixture into a piping bag, and snip a large hole off the end. Pipe the mixture to the top of each ramekin, then use a palette knife to completely smooth it, so that the mixture is flush with the ramekin.

Sprinkle an even layer of the crumble on top, and immediately place the soufflés into the oven. Bake for 14–17 minutes, or until the soufflés have risen and the crumble is golden around the edges.

Remove them from the oven and serve immediately with créme anglaise.