Let the good times roll with Rachel Allen’s recipes for three sensational summertime roulades starring berries, chocolate, booze and more
Whether you plump for fresh fruit, Irish coffee or indulgent chocolate, these irresistible sweet roulades are the dreamiest of summer desserts
"This week, it’s all about the sweet roulades and here are some of my favourites." Photo: Tony Gavin
"Make sure not to overcook the meringue or it will break up on rolling, exposing the cream and fruit." Photo: Tony Gavin
Cook for 12-13 minutes, or until the meringue feels springy and set in the centre. Photo: Tony Gavin.
Rachel Allen's lemon and summer berry roulade ingredients. Photo: Tony Gavin
Rachel Allen's lemon and summer berry roulade, pictured on a plate by acquerellohome.com. Photo: Tony Gavin.
Sweet or savoury, a roulade gets its name from the French verb ‘rouler’, which means ‘to roll’ — so everything from a spinach and feta swirl to a Swiss roll is a roulade. This week, it’s all about the sweet roulades and here are some of my favourites.
Rachel Allen's lemon and summer berry roulade, pictured on a plate by acquerellohome.com. Photo: Tony Gavin.
Strawberry and lemon meringue roulade
First up, we have a really simple and very delicious meringue roulade. It’s a light, marshmallowy meringue rolled up with lemon curd, whipped cream and summer berries.
Leave out the lemon curd if you wish, or switch up the fruit — sliced peaches, nectarines or drained poached rhubarb work equally well too. Just make sure not to overcook the meringue or it will break up on rolling, exposing the cream and fruit.
Serves 6-8
For the meringue, you will need:
For the filling, you will need:
To decorate the meringue, you will need:
To bake, you will need:
"Make sure not to overcook the meringue or it will break up on rolling, exposing the cream and fruit." Photo: Tony Gavin
1 Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F, Gas 4).
2 Line a Swiss roll tin with parchment paper, making sure there is enough to come up the sides, about 2cm high. Brush the paper lightly with a little sunflower oil.
3 To make the meringue roulade, place the egg whites into the spotlessly clean bowl of a food mixer. Break up with the whisk and then add all the caster sugar in one go. Whisk at full speed until the meringue holds a stiff peak, 6-8 minutes approximately.
4 Spread the meringue gently in the tin with a palette knife. The mixture should be thick and bouncy.
5 Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes until springy to the touch in the centre. Take out of the oven and let sit in the tin for 2 minutes, then scatter just 1-2 teaspoons of caster sugar on the meringue. Now place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top, followed by an upturned cooling rack, and tip the meringue out on to it. Remove the tin and the paper on the base, and allow the meringue to cool on the clean paper, sitting on the rack.
6 Once the meringue is cool, you can assemble the roulade, or it could wait for up to 2 hours.
7 To assemble the roulade, remove the cooling rack so that the meringue is sitting on the parchment paper on the worktop. Spread the lemon curd over the meringue, then scatter with the sliced raspberries and strawberries, and then the cream.
8 Now, with the longest end of the roulade closest to you, begin to roll away from you, using the parchment paper to prevent it sticking to your hands, but not rolling the paper into the roulade.
9 Transfer it on to a long serving plate, removing the paper, making sure that the join of the meringue is on the bottom.
10 Pipe some rosettes of cream on to the top, if you wish, and decorate with a few raspberries, cut in half if you like, and quartered strawberries.
11 Garnish with some edible leaves, mint, lemon balm or sweet cicely and, if you wish, a few edible petals (I used cornflower petals) and dredge with a little icing sugar.
12 Cut the roulade in slices to serve.
Top tip: If you want to roll the roulades an hour or so in advance, then keep them wrapped up in the parchment paper that you used for rolling, and pop on a plate into the fridge.
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Irish coffee meringue roulade
A variation on the simple meringue roulade is this coffee meringue. This simply has sweetened whiskey-laced cream inside that will happily take on sliced bananas or a drizzle of chocolate — or salted caramel sauce too, if you fancy!
Serves 6-8
For the meringue, you will need:
For the coffee cream filling, you will need:
To bake, you will need:
1 Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F, Gas 4).
2 Line the base and sides of a Swiss roll tin with parchment paper, making sure there is enough to come up the edges about 2cm high. Brush the paper lightly with a little sunflower oil.
3 Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric food mixer with the caster sugar and whisk, on full speed, until the mixture holds stiff peaks. When it is stiff, fold in the coffee powder, then spread the coffee meringue mixture out in an even layer in the tin. Place in the oven and cook for 12-13 minutes, or until the meringue feels springy and set in the centre.
Cook for 12-13 minutes, or until the meringue feels springy and set in the centre. Photo: Tony Gavin.
4 Take out of the oven and let sit in the tin for 2 minutes, then scatter just 1-2 teaspoons of caster sugar on the meringue. Now place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top, followed by an upturned cooling rack, and tip the meringue out on to it. Remove the tin and the paper on the base and allow the meringue to cool on the clean paper, sitting on the rack.
5 Now make the coffee cream filling. Place the whipped cream in a bowl and fold in the coffee powder, the sifted icing sugar and the whiskey.
6 To assemble the roulade, remove the cooling rack so that the meringue is sitting on the parchment paper on the worktop. Spread the coffee cream filling to cover the cooled meringue.
7 Now, with the longest end of the roulade closest to you, begin to roll away from you, using the parchment paper to prevent it sticking to your hands, but not rolling the paper into the roulade.
8 Transfer to a serving plate with the join on the bottom, removing the paper. Decorate, if you wish, with some extra whipped cream on top and a dusting of coffee powder or cocoa.
9 Cut the roulade into slices about 2cm thick to serve.
Rachel recommends: The meringue roulade and the coffee meringue roulade are delicious with chopped nuts or desiccated coconut scattered over the meringue before it goes in the oven.
Chocolate roulade
If it’s something unapologetically chocolatey that you’re after, then I can definitely recommend this chocolate roulade. Add berries or sliced bananas to the creamy filling, or leave out the booze and replace with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. This can be made in advance and rolled up when you’re ready to eat for really easy entertaining.
Serves 6-8
For the chocolate sponge, you will need:
For the filling, you will need:
To bake, you will need:
1 Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F, Gas 4).
2 Line the base and sides of a Swiss roll tin with parchment paper, making sure there is enough to come up the edges about 3cm high so that you’ll be able to lift the sponge out when it’s cooked. Brush the paper lightly with a little sunflower oil.
3 Place the chocolate and the 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl sitting over a saucepan with a few centimetres of warm water in it on the heat. Bring the water in the saucepan up to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat immediately and allow the chocolate to melt slowly, stirring every so often.
4 Separate the eggs. Place the yolks and the caster sugar in a bowl and whisk using an electric beater for a couple of minutes until the mixture is quite thick and pale in colour.
5 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form peaks. Stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Stir a little of the egg white into the mixture, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites.
6 Now pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out to level and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until set to the touch around the edge and gently springy in the centre. Allow to sit in the tin for just 3 minutes, then lift the sponge out in the paper and place on a wire rack.
7 Soak a clean tea towel with cold water and wring out thoroughly, then cover the cooked sponge with the tea towel. This is to prevent a sugary crust forming, making it difficult to roll later on. Leave to cool thoroughly. Provided the cloth is kept damp, it will keep in a cool place for up to 24 hours like this.
8 To make the filling, whip the cream until stiff and fold in the alcohol and the sifted icing sugar. Set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
9 Remove the tea towel from the sponge, then dust the top with icing sugar. Place a sheet of parchment paper on to the sponge and carefully turn the sponge upside down, still on the rack, on to the prepared paper. Remove the rack and peel the top layer of parchment paper off.
10 Spread the sponge with the flavoured cream. Now, with the longest end of the roulade closest to you, begin to roll away from you, using the parchment paper to prevent it sticking to your hands, but not rolling the paper into the roulade.
11 Dust generously with sifted icing sugar. Decorate if you wish with more whipped cream and edible leaves and petals.
12 Cut the roulade into slices to serve.
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