Preheat the oven to 180 °C (gas mark 4).
Grease the mini-cocottes and dust with caster sugar.
Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds.
Bring the milk to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla seeds.
Melt the butter in a small pan.
Add the flour and stir to make a fairly smooth paste.
Whisk in the vanilla milk.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
Remove from the heat and stir the yolks, one by one,
into the cream, whisking constantly.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt into stiff peaks.
Fold them in carefully using a spatula.
Fill the mini-cocottes three-quarters full (the soufflés will rise). Place in the oven and cook for 20 min (do not open the oven door).

Just before serving Insert 1⁄2 vanilla pod into the top of each soufflé. Dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Tip
A red fruit coulis goes well with vanilla soufflé.