there are certain foods in life that have a special place in our hearts, perhaps they remind us of better times, taking us back to a special event, or simply a day in the sun… be it the classic roast that brings the family together… grandmas special fruitcake you always had when you went to visit… Auntie Jeannie’s Pernod risotto, the one she made for you at her home in France… or those funny fizzy sweets you bought from the corner shop when you were a kid…
… as you know my mum is a great food influence in my life and a lot of our eating took place at social gatherings… Friday night dinners… BBQ’s… Sunday lunch… and mum would always be asked to provide her classic dishes such as chopped liver, strawberry pavlova or perhaps a quiche… but the number one favourite that many people always squeal with delight when it appears on the table is her chocolate roulade with a chestnut cream…
… it is, quite simply, the dogs bollocks…!
UNFORTUNATELY I simply cannot get any bloody chestnut cream anywhere here in Lincolnshire and i’ve kind of got myself into a spiral of not ordering it on-line, which I should have done weeks ago, thinking i’d pick some up at some stage and here I am weeks and weeks later, far too late in fact to enter this into the May we should cocoa challenge, hosted brilliantly each month alternatively by Chele at Chocolate Teapot and Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog… and then I had a brainwave… this month the we should cocoa challenge ingredient is strawberries… you can see where i’m going with this can’t you…?
Chocolate Roulade with Chestnut Cream or Cream and Strawberries
For the roulade:
4 eggs – separate yolks and whites
150g good dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa)
4oz caster sugar
For the filling:
300m tub of double or whipping cream
1 x 250g tin of Clement Faugier sweet chestnut spread (google it… it’s widely available in the UK and can be bought on Amazon in the US)
or 1 x punnet of freshly picked strawberries – chopped into small pieces
In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until soft and light.
Melt the chocolate (mum does this in the microwave but if the idea sends shivers up your spine, then use the classic bowl over simmering water method…) at this stage add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of hot water to the choc mix, then add it to the egg and sugar mix.
Next beat the egg whites till stiff and then carefully fold them into the mixture.
Line a large Swiss roll tin with tin-foil which you should then grease well with butter or margarine.
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven at 160C for 20 Min’s then a further 10 Min’s at 90C.
Whilst its baking, grease another large sheet of foil and place it on a flat surface where it wont have to be moved for a while.
Now the tricky bit…
Once baked, take it out of the oven and turn it over onto the greased foil and leave it, with the baking tin still on top for at least 8 hours… so bake in the morning and go to work, or bake in the evening and leave it overnight.
Now you’re ready to assemble; whip the cream and, if using, stir in the chestnut spread.
Take off the baking tin and carefully peel off the foil that lined the tin.
Spread the cream mixture evenly onto the surface of the roulade (i’ve chopped the strawberries nice and small and mixed them into the cream) and then, using the excess foil, roll the roulade into shape. It should be able to be slipped neatly onto a plate.
it has the texture of light fluffy foam… I promise you will not regret making this roulade…
eat and of course, enjoy!
This looks and sounds fantastic! Somebody keep me away from the baking cupboard and oven, or there may be a baking incident followed by one-woman demolition of a chocolatey confection!! I should be packing to go away, so I'll bookmark this for when I get back.
Fantastic – well done you – two for one or is it one for two? Whatever, you've made your roulade chestnuts or no chestnuts and it looks fantastic. Your mother obviously knows a thing or two about roulade rolling and you've done a great job, especially as it's your first attempt. You gave me this tip months ago, but I'm not so good at being ultra prepared, so really I've only myself to blame. Think you've probably got in first this time, which makes a change from – OK I won't rub it in. Thanks for kicking the whole thing off with such a delicious chocolate and strawberry confection. Oh! And it's a rather elegant one too 😉
@Choclette… he he he he!… first in… way to GO!!!
Well done, Dom, for getting round to tackling the roulade for this challenge. Bet you're wondering what you were worried about now! Perfect flavour combination too!
I've never actually made a roulade 😛
I always think it's gonna break and split so I give up and make a regular cake 😀
But your roulade looks fantastic! 🙂
this looks fantastic…but i'm actually craving chopped chicken liver…we've entered a full on summer heat wave in Edinburgh and a slice of this roulade would go down a treat tonight, with a glass of cold bubbly me thinks! Have a good weekend 🙂
I enjoy reading about your food memory Dom. It's related to my dissertation.
The roulade looks incredible! I'm always scared at rolling them. My roulade often turn into layer cake instead.
oh my friend, you have outdone yourself with this one…loved reading your words…loved it…and then you hit us with this little beauty…it looks amazing…we just brought home loads of sweet strawberries from a farmstand yesterday,and i know what i am doing with them…YUM!!!!
happy to stop by today..i sure missed my computer…but am back !!!!
kary and teddy
Oh wow, this is a cake of epic proportions, it looks so freakin' yummy! x
Oh, good lord, I need a piece of that NOW!
Love either of those combinations …. speaking of chestnuts I seem to remember ….. a certain blogger promising ……!
What an inspired idea. Looks fab!
A pud of beauty – well done you and well done your mum for the master-recipe.
Love the roulade especially with the chestnut cream.
Looks great, and even if you did want a chestnut filling, strawberries are even more perfect for summer (not that it's summer weather where I am!)
Love the sound of your aunties pernod risotto, though am sure very potent stuff!
The roulade looks scrummy, really like the sound of the strawberries and cream filling, not made a roulade since school days so high time to try again I think!
che bontà questo rotolo! eè veramente troppo invitante!
That looks amazing. I was thinking choc cake and strawberries too, but I'm still thinking.
Yum! Yum! Yum! This is just so perfect …my favorites chocolate and strawberries!! Divine
Happy Baking:)
Wow, Dom, that looks incredible!! YUM!!!
That does look so beautiful. I love the combination of chestnut and chocolate so much. I don't believe I could make a roulade look that good!
I still have nightmare remembering trying to roll up a swiss roll in school Home Ec lessons so I shy away from doing anything like this – but this looks and sounds so delicious that I might bite the bullet!
Hannah @ Love to Dine
http://lovetodine.wordpress.com
That looks so incredibly good with so many delicious flavors to enjoy.
Dom how on earth did I miss this post from you?????? Must of been when my laptop was in meltdown phase! Great looking treat, fantastic!