Dates are sweet enough and so make for an easy, sugar-free soufflé mixture. You will need 6-8 individual ramekins of an 8cm diameter. Buttering and sugaring them prevents the soufflé from sticking to the sides and as such is essential if they are to rise. When warm custard is poured in they lift up and you have the heavenly lightness of soufflé to scoop out with cinnamon-perfumed sauce. These really are almost too good to be true.

Ingredients - makes 6-8

200g medjool dates
200ml milk
20g cornflour
6 egg whites
tiny pinch of salt
plus butter to grease the ramekins, caster sugar to dust ramekins, and icing sugar to dust soufflés

300ml milk
3 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Method

1 First make the custard by whisking the sugar and yolks together until thick and pale. Place the milk and cinnamon together in a saucepan and heat to boiling, leave to infuse for a few minutes then return to the boil and pour over the yolks, whisking as you do so. Now place the custard over a pan of simmering water and whisk until it thickens then remove from heat immediately and cover.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C
remove stones from the dates and finely chop. Mix the cornflour with a little milk to a paste. Warm the milk in a small pan and stir in the cornflour paste to thicken, now remove from heat and stir in the chopped dates. Butter the ramekins, add sugar and turn to coat the sides then shake out the excess.

3 Whisk the egg whites with salt to stiff peaks then fold in the date mixture. Fill each ramekin and scrape across rim with a palette knife to give a flat surface. Run your little finger inside the rim to leave a groove and bake for 8-10 minutes to risen and browned.

4 Sit a souffé on each plate, break the crust with a knife and pour custard into the interior. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately!