Cranberry Meringue Roulade Recipes

CRANBERRY MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch nonstick springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the granulated sugar slowly, then the vanilla, baking powder and salt while beating, about 2 more minutes. Fold in the ginger snaps and walnuts.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then remove the springform.
• For the frosting: In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form and the mixture is smooth. Make sure the mixture has no lumps.
• To assemble: Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the cake. Garnish with the Sparkling Cranberries and serve.
• Cook the agave nectar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, 1 to 2 minutes. (Make sure not to let the syrup get too hot because the cranberries will pop.) Remove from the heat; stir in the cranberries. Cover and chill for 3 to 5 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the granulated sugar in a large bowl or baking dish. Drain the cranberries in a colander. Add 5 cranberries at a time to the sugar, gently tossing to coat. Place the cranberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and let dry completely.

CRANBERRY MERINGUE ROULADE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease then line a 23 x 32cm shallow baking tray. Using electric hand beaters, whisk the egg whites, lemon juice and a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry.
• Add 1 tbsp of the caster sugar, then whisk until the mixture thickens again to make stiff peaks. Repeat with the rest of the sugar, spoon by spoon, until the mix resembles thick shiny shaving foam. Spread the mixture into the tin, scatter with almonds, then bake for 15 mins or until risen, firm and golden. Cool completely. (It will deflate.)
• Simmer the cranberries in the pomegranate juice for 10 mins until tender. Add the sugar and cinnamon, and simmer for 5 mins or until syrupy. Taste and add more sugar if you need to. Stir in the arrowroot until the juices thicken, then leave to cool.
• To assemble, sift plenty of icing sugar over a large piece of parchment, then carefully flip the meringue onto it. Remove the tin and the baking parchment. With a short end facing you, score a line 2cm into meringue. Whip all the cream ingredients until thick but not stiff, then spread over the meringue. Spoon over about 1/3 of the cranberry sauce. Roll up the roulade, starting with the scored short end and using the paper underneath to help. Carefully lift onto a serving plate and serve with the remaining saucy cranberries.

DARK CHOCOLATE & CRANBERRY ROULADE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter a large (approx 30cm x 40cm) Swiss roll tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Lightly butter the parchment, dust with the plain flour and tip out any excess.
• Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl and mix in the ground almonds. Put the eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat, using an electric hand-whisk or tabletop mixer, for 5-10 mins until pale, thick and trebled in volume. The mixture should leave a trail when the beaters are lifted out.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a large metal spoon. Pour into the prepared tin, then tip the tin from side to side until it is covered in an even layer of batter and the corners are filled. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12-15 mins or until firm to the touch. Meanwhile, lay a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and sprinkle with caster sugar.
• Allow the sponge to cool for 1 min before turning out onto the sugared paper. Peel away the backing paper and, with the short side facing you, roll the sponge away from you so that the sugary parchment is rolled inside the roulade. This will help you to fill and roll it later. Set aside until completely cold.
• To make the filling, beat the mascarpone with the orange zest. Unroll the sponge, discard the inside paper and evenly spread the mascarpone over, leaving a finger-width border around the edges. Cover with the cranberry sauce. Using the outside baking paper to help, roll the sponge away from you as tightly as possible. Transfer to a serving platter, cover loosely and chill while you prepare the frosting.
• For the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just-simmering water, or microwave on High for 2 mins, stirring halfway through. Set aside for about 10 mins until cooled, but still soft.
• Meanwhile, beat the butter and icing sugar together until pale and smooth. Pour in the chocolate and stir thoroughly to combine. Set aside for 20 mins to firm up slightly before using a palette knife to cover the roulade in frosting. Mark with a fork to create a log effect. To decorate, arrange the cranberries and bay leaves along the length of the log. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving. Cut into slices, removing cranberries and bay leaves to serve. The roulade can be made up to a day ahead. Take it out of the fridge at least 30 mins before you want to serve it, to allow the filling and icing to soften.