Red berry meringue roulade

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there! My Dad came to stay with us this weekend and I was determined to redeem myself after last year’s disastrous rhubarb cheesecake. After the lovely weather this week I decided something summery was needed. I did consider making a pavlova but then decided on a roulade. This was a brave choice as my Dad is a big fan of my mother-in-law, Dot’s roulades that she makes and I was wasn’t sure I could compete. Luckily today was a success and hopefully any memories of last years disaster have been banished (it’s just a shame the weather didn’t match the summery-ness of the roulade!)

This is a recipe I found on the Tesco website. It is relatively easy recipe to whip up and you could easily adapt the filling to whatever you want or whatever is in season. You will need to allow 1-2 hours for the meringue to cool before you can decorate it. It needs a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin or roasting tin. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, this meringue can be frozen on the same day if wrapped carefully. Defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour, then decorate with the lemon curd and berries.

Ingredients:

For the roulade
4 large egg whites
250g caster sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

For the filling
300ml double cream
4 tablespoons lemon curd
150g raspberries
225g strawberries (I used slightly less than this – approx. 150g)

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin or roasting tin with a large rectangle of non-stick baking paper.
2) Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiffly peaking and the bowl can be tipped upside down without the egg whites moving in the bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar a teaspoonful at a time then continue to whisk for a minute or two until thick and glossy. Mix the cornflour and vinegar together then fold into the meringue.

Whisk to stiff peaks

Add the sugar and whisk until thick and glossy

Fold in the white wine vinegar and cornflour

3) Spoon the meringue into the paper lined tin and ease gently into an even layer (I used a spatula to help). Bake for 10 minutes until well risen and just beginning to colour then reduce the heat to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3 and cook for 5 minutes or until just firm to the touch and beginning to crack.

Spoon onto the tray

Smooth into an even layer

4) Put a teacloth on to your work surface, cover with a sheet of non-stick baking paper and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Turn out the hot meringue on to the paper, remove the tin and leave to cool for 1-2 hours. (The meringue will deflate a bit at this point.)

5) Once your meringue has cooled, peel off the lining paper from the meringue. Whip the cream until it forms soft swirls then spoon over the meringue. Spoon the lemon curd on top then sprinkle with the red berries. R

Whip the cream to soft peaks

Spoon over the cream and lemon curd

Add the fruit

6) Roll up the meringue, starting with one of the narrowest edges, using the paper and teacloth to help. (You might find some of your filling doesn’t quite fit at this point – I just scooped it up and served it on the side.) Carefully transfer to a serving plate and remove paper and teacloth. Serve with extra berries if you want.