Michelle Darmody: How to make chocolate roulade — and the mistakes to avoid
Pic: iStock
The word roulade originates from French and means "to roll" so t echnically roulade refers to the way this dessert is assembled.
When most people think of a roulade, they do not imagine a savoury filled roll but rather this light flourless dessert.
Roulade desserts are usually a simple meringue, sometimes with added chocolate, like this one. Think of it as a lighter cousin to a Swiss roll!
Roulades are a great flour-free option, and the omission of flour gives it a melt-in-the-mouth feel.
The recipe here is made with orange curd and has some zest in the main body of the roulade.
There are other variations, and you can experiment if you feel like a different filling or a topping.
When making a dessert such as this, which is essentially a meringue base, it is advisable to be gentle when folding the two mixtures together.
As a rule, you will add the lighter ingredient to the heavier one. In this case we add the whisked egg whites to the chocolate mixture.
Add a spoonful of egg white first to loosen the chocolate and then add the rest a third at a time.
Fold in each third with a wooden spoon or spatula by scrapping it along the bottom of the bowl towards you, then lifting the mixture on the spoon up and over the added egg whites.
Continue to do this slowly to combine or ‘fold’ the two mixtures together.
Rotate the bowl each time you fold to ensure you get all the mixture from the bottom. It is handy to use quite a big bowl to give you lots of room.
Chocolate Roulade
Roulade desserts are usually a simple meringue, sometimes with added chocolate, like this one. Think of it as a lighter cousin to a Swiss roll!
Servings
10Preparation Time
25 minsCooking Time
20 minsTotal Time
45 minsCourse
BakingIngredients
170g dark chocolate, broken into small even-sized pieces
1 medium-sized orange, the juice and zest
4 eggs, separated
140g caster sugar, divided into two
300mls cream, whipped until stiff
2 tbsp orange curd
Method
Line a Swiss roll tin with parchment, the tins are usually 9 x 13 inches and about 2 inches deep. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.
Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until smooth and the whisk leaves a trace in the mixture.
Whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fold the chocolate, orange juice and zest into the egg yolk mixture. Stir a spoonful of the egg whites in this mixture then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out gently.
Place the tin into the oven and bake it for about 20 minutes. You will know it is done when it just starts to crack on the top and it is firm to touch.
When it is still warm turn the roulade onto a clean damp tea towel and leave it to cool on the tea towel.
Spread the roulade with cream leaving about an inch all-round the edges, spread the orange curd over the cream and use the tea towel as an aid to gently roll the roulade. It works best to roll it away from you.
Cut the baking parchment in two and use the two pieces to line the tin. This will make it easier to peel the parchment off after you turn it out onto the damp tea towel.
Avoid whisking the egg whites in a greasy bowl. This will prevent sufficient air being added and mixture won't fluff up as well.
Folding the egg white mixture into the chocolate allows you to maintain the air bubbles. Instead of whisking or stirring, gently combine the lighter egg white mixture with the heavier chocolate mixture by gently turning them both with your wooden spoon or spatula.
If the roulade cracks around the edges or is crumbly when rolled, it has been overbaked. Take it out of the oven as soon as it is firm to touch. The top will be shiny and a crack or two will be starting to form. If you let it set very firm, it will be too dry. It should be just baked until firm to the touch.
Using a damp tea towel for rolling helps to get a nice, rounded shape.
Leaving a 1cm gap around the edges of the roulade stops the cream and curd, or other fillings, from squeezing out when you roll it up
You can make the roulade the day before and fill when needed. It is best to eat it that day. It will not last very well past day two.
In place of the orange juice and zest place 500g of stoned cherries with 250g of golden caster sugar.
Allow them to simmer gently for 15 minutes until the juice has turned syrupy and the fruit is soft.
Allow the compote to cool completely.
You can add a little cherry brandy to the recipe if you wish.
In place of the orange juice and zest add 4 tablespoons of espresso coffee.
To make the filling whisk 150mls of cream, 150g of mascarpone cheese, 100g of icing sugar and 40mls of Irish cream liqueur.
Whisk until it holds its shape and then spread it onto the roulade before rolling it.
For this variation, which is one of my favourites, I simply add a handful of ripe fresh raspberries to the cream in place of the orange curd. It is delicious.
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