Chester’s Bake Off star gives you her best recipes
It hasn’t been the easiest of times for any of us: facing huge uncertainty, fear and the unknown. One thing that seems to have kept us all going though, is the desire to be more creative in our kitchens, and I’m delighted to have seen so many people take huge pleasure in honing their baking/cooking skills.
As I have mentioned before, baking has been, and continues to be, such a therapy for me. I can briefly switch off from the mental chatter in my brain, get creative and make an almighty mess in the process – thanks Mum for being a boss at washing up. If you’re struggling and haven’t yet ventured into your kitchen during this time, I would encourage anyone to have a go. It doesn’t have to be exciting or magnificent (and frankly, it probably won’t be if it’s your first time), but give it a go. I’m quite sure you will experience a short moment of distraction, possibly even some peace. The batter/mixture often tastes great and with a bit of practice, the result will be so worth it. Side note, if you have kids at home too and you’re tearing your hair out over what to do, get them involved and have some fun.
Onto my recipe – as we step into summer and welcome longer days, sunshine and warmth I figured there was no option other than to share a take on a simple classic combo of meringue, cream and fresh summer berries in the form of a pimped-up, elegant roulade. I’m making good use of fresh seasonal raspberries, rippled through a white chocolate cream cheese frosting sandwiched between spirals of pistachio-studded, pillowy meringue… and if that isn’t enough to make you want this, decorate it with shards of toasted, pistachio brittle for a little crunchy magic (this recipe is worth having a go at, honest). u
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Raspberry, White chocolate & Pistachio Roulade
Ingredients
Pistachio meringue
180g egg whites, room temperature; 275g caster sugar; 30g pistachios finely chopped
White chocolate
cream cheese filling
130g white chocolate;
185g cream cheese; 50g unsalted softened butter; 180g pouring double cream
Pistachio brittle
20g pistachios; 5g butter;
60g sugar; 20g water
Garnish
200g fresh raspberries, reserve 7-9 full raspberries, halve the remainder; 75g pouring double cream; mint leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Grease and line a 25cmx35cm swiss roll tin.
Weigh out the pistachios for the nut brittle, gently roast in the oven for approx. 8 mins, or until golden. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the meringue. Make sure your whisk and bowl are extremely clean, free of dirt and dry – wipe with some lemon juice to be sure it’s grease-free.
Measure out the egg whites into the bowl, and whisk with a food mixer or electric whisk on high speed to medium/stiff peaks. Continue to whisk while gradually adding the caster sugar a teaspoon at a time. Once all is incorporated, continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth, glossy and forms very stiff peaks.
Spoon into the prepared tin and spread evenly to the edges using a palette knife. Scatter over the crushed pistachios.
Bake in the oven for
8 mins, before dropping the temperature to 140C fan for 15-20 mins.
Once the meringue is baked remove from the oven and gently turn out onto a tea towel or piece of parchment paper. Gently remove the parchment that was lining the tin. Leave to cool completely.
Prepare the brittle. Grease a heatproof spatula. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out the water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle over the caster sugar. Place over a low heat, swirling gently until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat to medium and allow to bubble and boil. As the mixture starts to turn a deep amber colour – approximately 165C on a sugar thermometer (careful not to let it catch), remove from the heat. Working quickly, stir in the butter before tipping in the roasted pistachios. Stir to coat evenly in caramel before pouring out onto the lined baking sheet. Gently spread to form an even layer and allow to cool.
Prepare the white chocolate cream cheese filling. Heat the chocolate in a large bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Weigh out the cream. Measure out the softened butter into a large bowl. Whisk/beat on a high speed until smooth. Add the cream cheese in two stages, beating slightly between each addition. Beat again until well combined. Next, pour over the melted chocolate (temperature at 37C) and continue to beat until smooth. Finally, add the double cream and whisk on a medium speed for the last time until the mixture leaves soft waves/a slight trail – don’t over-whisk. Once the mixture is ready, transfer to a large bowl and cover with clingfilm until ready to use.
Prepare to assemble. Spread the white chocolate cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled meringue. Scatter over halved raspberries. With the long edge towards you, roll up the meringue using the tea towel/parchment. Roll carefully onto the serving platter. Trim the two ends to remove unfinished edges. Sample these – baker’s perk.
Whip the double cream to medium/stiff peaks. Pop in a piping bag with an open-star nozzle fitted. Dot the top of the meringue with approximately 6-7 small star blobs. Decorate with whole raspberries. Shatter the brittle by dropping gently onto the baking sheet forming small shards. Pop a shard of the pistachio brittle between each blob of cream.
Serve and enjoy!
