Meringue Roulade - Liliana Battle

For our recent team lunch, in addition to the Strawberry Tart, I made a meringue roulade, which is a very easy gluten-free dessert.  My research showed that the recipe for the meringue base is basically the same, whatever source you use.  However, I was very taken with the presentation of Liliana Battle's Fig and Almond Roulade in her new(ish) book The Sweet Life - Home Baking and Sweet Treats Italian Style. Sadly, figs were not readily available to me, so I used mixed berries (raspberries and blueberries) instead.

I think this is such a pretty dessert, and so light and airy to eat.  The only disadvantage with it is that you need to eat it as soon as possible after filling it, because the meringue starts to weep.  That means it is not the best dessert to prepare in advance, but I threw caution to the wind, as I had a half day's work ahead of me before our lunch and I needed to travel to get to the lunch.

The meringue is filled with a lovely mix of whipped cream, toasted flaked almonds and fruit (in my case, berries, in Liliana's case, chopped fresh figs). Liliana also flavours the cream with honey rather than icing sugar, which gives that sweet honey taste to the dessert. Swoon!

If you would like to dig in to a meringue roulade yourself, you will need:

4 egg whites
165g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pure icing sugar to stop the meringue from sticking (Liliana said to use more sugar)

Filling

400ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
75g toasted flaked almonds
8 fresh figs (6 chopped for the filling, the other 2 cut into wedges to decorate the top), or berries

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Grease and line (with baking paper) a 30cm x 33cm baking tray.

Whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until foamy, then gradually beat in the sugar.  Beat in the vanilla extract, and continue to beat until the meringue is thick and glossy, the sugar is fully dissolved, and stiff peaks form.

Spread the meringue evenly over the prepared baking tray, and bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Remove the meringue from the oven and allow it to cool on the tray.

For the filling, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold through the honey and vanilla.

To assemble, lay a piece of baking paper on the table that is bigger than the meringue. Sprinkle the baking paper generously with icing sugar (or caster sugar, if you prefer Liliana's method).  Turn the meringue out onto the sugared baking paper and very carefully remove the baking paper that lined the tray in which the meringue was baked.  Take it slowly as it has a nasty tendency to want to stick and tear.

Spread three quarters of the whipped cream over the meringue, spreading nearly right up to the edges, then scatter over the 6 chopped figs or berries, and flaked almonds (reserving some berries and almonds for the top of the roulade).

Starting at the long edge of the meringue closest to you, roll up the meringue tightly, using the baking paper to help you roll it up (without getting it caught in the roll).  Once the meringue has been rolled into a log, carefully place it in a serving tray.

Decorate the top of the roulade with dollops of the remaining whipped cream, the fig wedges or berries, and some flaked almonds.  Drizzle with extra honey if desired.