Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Abalone - 'see ormer'

                 A large single-shelled mollusc found off the Pacific Coasts of Asia and Mexico, in the Mediterranean and off the European Atlantic Coast

Hey Everyone,

For those of you who didn't read my update from last week, I've decided to a culinary definition every post and (sometimes) try to relate what I made to it! So, what does Raspberry Meringue Roulade have to do with a large single-shelled mollusc I hear you ask? The answer to that would be absolutely nothing of course! Already I have failed you, but I did warn you this was bound to happen over the course of the blog - there is no love lost between me and most weird seafoods so I decided to make a delicious dessert instead!

And delicious the roulade is! Where a sponge would typically be in a normal roulade, instead there is a  beautifully light and soft meringue. (This allows you to eat twice as much as usual, of course!) The almonds on the outside give it the added texture needed; the crunch of the nuts perfectly countering the smooth cream and meringue. Raspberries are the perfect fruit for the roulade, their juices adding a great flavour to the cream as well - strawberries and blueberries among other fruits would also be great in this sort of dish,so why not try using them as well?

Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Cake Tin needed: a 33cm x 23cm (13 x 9 in) Swiss Roll tin

Ingredients -

• 5 Large Eggs
• 275g (10oz) Caster Suagr
• 20g (2oz) Flaked Almonds

For The Filling

• 300ml Whipping / Pouring Cream
• 350g Fresh Raspeberries

1. Preheat the oven 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Line the tin with non-stick parchement.

2. Whisk the egg whites until very stiff. Gradually add the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk until very, very stiff and all the sugar has been added.

3. Spread the meringue mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle with the almonds. Place the tin fairly neat the top of the preheated oven and bake for about 8 minutes until pale and golden. Then reduce the temperature to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3 and bake the roulade for a further 15 minutes until firm to the touch.

4. Remove the meringue from the oven and turn it almond side down onto a sheet of non-stick baking parchment. Remove the parchment from the base of the baked meringue and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.

5. While the meringue is cooling, whisk the cream until it stands in stiff peaks, and gently mix in the raspberries. Spread the cream and raspberries evenly over the cooled meringue. Start to roll up from the long end fairly tightly until rolled up like a roulade. Wrap in non-stick baking parchment and chill before serving.

Enjoy!!!