Apple soufflés with salted caramel sauce

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6. Brush melted butter all over the insides of the ramekins. Put the apples in a baking dish, sprinkle with the muscovado sugar and cinnamon, add the vanilla seeds and pod, then cook for 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until soft.
2. emove the vanilla pod, spoon the apples and any juices into a food processor, then whizz to a purée. Add the egg yolks, whizz, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Turn up the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
3. Meanwhile make the salted caramel sauce. Put the cream, vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the 190g golden caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Bubble until it forms a deep amber caramel (make sure it doesn’t burn). Remove the vanilla pod from the cream, then pour it over the caramel (be careful – it may spit), whisking over a medium heat until incorporated. Whisk in the butter, piece by piece, to create a glossy sauce. Keep warm (see Make Ahead).
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4. Break the sponge fingers into 1-2cm pieces and put in the bases of the ramekins. Drizzle with the calvados. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
5. Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk to stiff peaks with an electric mixer, then add the 75g golden caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking back to stiff peaks after each addition, until all the sugar is incorporated.
6. Mix a spoonful of meringue into the apple purée to loosen, then gently fold the purée into the meringue using a large metal spoon in a figure-of-eight motion. Divide among the ramekins. Use a palette knife to level the tops, then run the tip of a table knife around each soufflé (see tips). Put the ramekins on the hot baking tray in the oven.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden but still with a slight wobble in the centre. Dust with icing sugar, then serve immediately with the caramel sauce.