A LIGHT AFTER DINNER CAKE
Everyone likes something sweet once in a while and this treat is sure to please even the finicky dessert eater.
We all love to eat at Christmas time and if you are anything like me you love the variety of desserts generally available at many gatherings.
The problem I have is when I have eaten turkey and all the trimmings that I am sometimes way too full to be eating anything else.
To end your meal with something sweet I am sharing with you today a light alternative to your other heavy on the stomach Christmas desserts.
Today I have a roulade recipe called a sticky meringue roulade with honey cream stuffed with cranberry and raspberries. The roulade is also known as cake roll recipes or simply rolled that can be created with various flavours and fillings which can be sweet or savory.
What is meringue?
A wonderfully frivolous thing a meringue recipe is made with using just the egg whites of an egg, sugar and an acid such as lemon or vinegar, cornflour which is corn starch in Canada then whisked until soft peaks are formed–light as air, sweet as honey and pretty as a picture.
Meringue when piled high in voluminous mountains on flans and tarts look snow-white and crisp and for a teatime treat meringue is almost everyone’s favorite
There are many different ways of making meringue from soft meringue like in today’s recipe to toppings for a lemon meringue pie.
Another one of my favorites is meringue cream cakes which are made from using a hard meringue. The bottoms of these cakes are dipped in chocolate and then put together with whipped cream in the middle.
How long will meringues last?
Meringues are very versatile and the hard meringues can be put in the freezer and kept there for many months until ready to use.
It was always a tradition back home in Scotland for mum and dad to host Christmas and they stop and nothing short at feeding us a full holiday meal.
Christmas dinner
My dad is an ex-chef and loves to experiment in the kitchen and whip up new ideas but he is also a pure traditionalist when it comes to Christmas dinner.
I will give you an example of what our traditional Christmas menu was like:
- Starter- Either prawn cocktail or garlic mushrooms
- Soup- Mums broth soup
- Main- Turkey and Glazed Ham, brussel sprouts, roasted, mashed and whole potatoes, carrots, peas, parsnips and not forgetting the gravy and stuffing.
- Dessert- Traditional Trifle made by mum and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and all served with cream.
Then dessert after dessert comes out coffee, mint thins (after eights) and not forgetting Christmas cake and Stollen bread.
You can imagine it was a busy day of opening presents and eating although we tend to space it all out as it’s a lot to eat at one sitting.
We’d probably start eating around 1pm and finish around 7pm and if we were still hungry (not!) we had the option of turkey sandwiches.
I imagine that most would agree that this is a hefty menu and I agree so this year I am making my trifle and roulade which I am going to show you how to make today along with a homemade cranberry jam filling.
Sticky meringue roulade with honey cream stuffed with cranberry and raspberries
- 3oz Shelled Hazelnuts
- 45 ml (3tbsp) clear honey
- Few drops vanilla essence
- 5ml (1tspn) white wine vinegar
- 5ml (1tspn) cornflour
- 4 egg whites
- 140g/5oz caster sugar
- 150 ml whipping cream
- 140g/5oz greek yoghurt
- 225g/8oz raspberries
- Icing Sugar for dusting
- Cranberry Jam
- 1/2 bag of Cranberries
- 1 cup caster/fine sugar
- ½ lemon
- 1/3 cup water
- Preheat the oven to 160 oC/325 oF. Line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
- Toss the hazelnuts with 15ml (1tbsp) honey, place on a non-stick tray and roast on the oven for 10-15 mins, until golden. Cool and process to a fine powder.
- Now put the cranberries, sugar lemon juice and 1/3 cup of water into a pan, bring up to the boil slowly stirring every so often.
- You will know when this is ready as it will be a thick Jam like mixture. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the vanilla, vinegar and cornflour together. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites together until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar and the cornflour mix
- Whisk until thick. Then fold in all but 30ml (2 tbsp) of the hazelnuts.
- Spoon into the prepared tin, roughly spread to cover and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.
- Bake for 25 mins, until golden.
- Turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment. Peel off the lining and leave to cool.
- Whip the cream and remaining honey together until it forms peaks.
- Fold in the yoghurt (I used a berry Greek yoghurt here as I was using up ingredients but I still used the honey)
- Now spread the roulade with the cranberry jam then spread cream, yoghurt mixture over the roulade
- Take the raspberries and sprinkle evenly over the roulade.
- Now the tricky bit – Roll up the roulade up from a narrow edge using the parchment paper.
- The meringue will crack slightly but it all adds to the finished dish. Then serve dusted with icing sugar.
I hope you all try my sticky meringue roulade with honey cream stuffed with cranberry and raspberries as an end to your holiday meal. Even if it’s not for Christmas dinner its still a crowd pleaser at any function you attend.
Nicky
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Sticky meringue roulade with honey cream stuffed with cranberry and raspberries
Ingredients
- 3oz Shelled Hazelnuts
- 45 ml (3tbsp) clear honey
- Few drops vanilla essence
- 5ml (1tspn) white wine vinegar
- 5ml (1tspn) cornflour
- 4 egg whites
- 140g/5oz caster sugar
- 150 ml whipping cream
- 140g/5oz greek yoghurt
- 225g/8oz raspberries
- Icing Sugar for dusting
- Cranberry Jam
- 1/2 bag of Cranberries
- 1 cup caster/fine sugar
- ½ lemon
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 oC/325 oF. Line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
- Toss the hazelnuts with 15ml (1tbsp) honey, place on a non-stick tray and roast on the oven for 10-15 mins, until golden. Cool and process to a fine powder.
- Now put the cranberries, sugar lemon juice and 1/3 cup of water into a pan, bring up to the boil slowly stirring every so often.
- You will know when this is ready as it will be a thick Jam like mixture. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the vanilla, vinegar and cornflour together. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites together until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar and the cornflour mix
- Whisk until thick. Then fold in all but 30ml (2 tbsp) of the hazelnuts.
- Spoon into the prepared tin, roughly spread to cover and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.
- Bake for 25 mins, until golden.
- Turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment. Peel off the lining and leave to cool.
- Whip the cream and remaining honey together until it forms peaks.
- Fold in the yoghurt (I used a berry Greek yoghurt here as I was using up ingredients but I still used the honey)
- Now spread the roulade with the cranberry jam then spread cream, yoghurt mixture over the roulade
- Take the raspberries and sprinkle evenly over the roulade.
- Now the tricky bit – Roll up the roulade up from a narrow edge using the parchment paper.
- The meringue will crack slightly but it all adds to the finished dish. Then serve dusted with icing sugar.
This looks really, really good. I love meringue. Especially in pie but this looks good too!
Its a real easy merguine and filling you could basicall use any flavour yoghurt and fruits that are in season!
That does look yummy Nicola!! I’ve never made a rolled cake before so I might try it at a time that isn’t a special occasion!!
As usual I’ll be making the big meal Christmas Day and having our daughter, grandson, my Dad and Uncle here for the meal. I’ll have to go get the two older gents and run them home after but that’s the only way I can get the pair of them here. My Uncle doesn’t drive anymore and Dad won’t after dark. We will spend the afternoon snacking on my baking and talking, while our daughter and I finish the cooking. I make things like the cranberry sauce, and turnip the day before to save a little time. Plus I’ll cut up the bread for the stuffing the day before. You make your cranberries much like mine but I use the entire package and half the sugar, no lemon juice! Our daughter usually makes the dessert …a birthday cake for me so I’ll be picking up some mint chip ice cream to go with that! I’m not sure what else she plans to bring this year, guess I’ll find out in time…
I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas even without the family back home……
Christine Everytime I make this I always think its nit going to roll but its so flexible. Sounds like you are going to have great day! Enjoy your having family at xmas x