Strawberry and Almond Roulade
This Strawberry and Almond Roulade, as seen on Britain's Best Home Cook, is the perfect summery showstopper, ideal for a Wimbledon celebration.
Introduction
Adding ground almonds to the meringue gives the roulade a delightful chewiness, while the muddled strawberries swirled through the filling are a perfect foil to the rich cream.
Ingredients
| vegetable oil, for greasing | |
| 6 | egg whites |
| 320g (11oz) | caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for dusting |
| ¼ tsp | white wine vinegar |
| 1 tsp | cornflour, sifted |
| 50g (2oz) | ground almonds |
| pinch of sea salt | |
| 2 tbsp | flaked almonds |
| 300ml (½ pint) | double cream |
| 300g (10½oz) | strawberries, hulled, plus extra to serve |
| 3 tbsp | icing sugar, plus extra to serve |
Essential kit
You will need: a 34 × 22cm (13 × 8½in) Swiss roll tin, a stand mixer or an electric whisk and a food processor.
Method
Prep time: 35 minutes, plus cooling and chilling Cook time: 30 minutes
1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6. Grease a 34 × 22cm (13 × 8½in) Swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment, ensuring the edge of the paper fits exactly into the tin.
2. Ensuring the bowl is clean and grease-free, whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer or using an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, whisking continuously until you have stiff, glossy peaks. This may take up to 6–8 minutes. Fold in the vinegar, cornflour, ground almonds and salt.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and smooth out using the back of a spoon. Bake for 8 minutes until golden, then turn down the oven to 160˚C/140˚C fan/gas 3 and bake for another 20 minutes until just firm and slightly springy to the touch.
4. Shortly before the meringue has finished cooking, scatter the flaked almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 3–4 minutes, until golden and aromatic.
5. Place a large sheet of baking parchment on your work surface and dust liberally with the remaining two tablespoons of caster sugar. Carefully invert the meringue onto the parchment. The easiest way to do this is to place a thin chopping board, roughly the size of the baking tin, on top of the meringue, invert the meringue onto the board, peel off the baking paper and then carefully slide the meringue off the board onto the sugar-dusted baking parchment. Score a line 2cm (¾in) in from the edge along one long side of the meringue, ensuring you do not cut all the way through. Leave to cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
6. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Using a fork, lightly mash half of the strawberries, so they still have a little bit of texture but have released their juice. Stir the mashed strawberries through the whipped cream and spread the mixture over the meringue, leaving a 1–2cm (½–¾in) border all round. Using the baking parchment, roll up the meringue (the line you scored earlier will help you to roll it up tightly). Wrap the parchment around the roll, leave it seam side down on a serving platter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until well chilled.
7. Meanwhile, put the remaining strawberries into a food processor, together with the icing sugar, and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and set aside.
8. To serve, unwrap the roulade and arrange some strawberries on top, scatter over the almonds and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately, drizzled with strawberry sauce.
