John Torode's festive meringue roulade
John's combining the classic festive drink Baileys with chocolate, cherries and light fluffy meringue, to make the most delicious Christmas treat ever!
Festive meringue roulade
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the meringue
4 large egg whites
1 tbsp lemon juice
200g caster sugar
For the Baileys mousse
150g chocolate
25g butter
2 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
1tsp lemon juice
50g caster sugar
250ml double cream
200ml Baileys
For the cherries
300g tinned black cherries and syrup
100ml blueberry and blackcurrant cordial
Parchment, to roll the roulade
Icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C Fan. Grease a 23 x 32cm baking tray and line with parchment paper
2. To make the meringue, whip the egg whites with the lemon and when stiff start to add your sugar, a large spoon at a time. Whip to stiff peaks, then spread onto the baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes so it is slightly crisp on top. Leave to cool.
3. To make the mousse, begin by melting the chocolate over hot water in a glass bowl with the butter
4. Whip the egg whites with the lemon and whisk until stiff. Add the sugar and whip to a stiff peak.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then add the Baileys and re-whip
6. Beat the egg yolks into the melted chocolate, then add the chocolate mix to half of the cream mix and fold in the egg whites. Now add the rest off the cream, but don’t mix too much so you have swirls or ripples.
7. Tip the whole tin of cherries with their syrup into a large saucepan with the cordial and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is thick and sticky. Leave to cool.
8. Take a large sheet of parchment (larger than the meringue) and dust with icing sugar. Flip the meringue onto it.
9. Take the mousse and spoon on to the meringue, leaving one end without any mousse on it. Strain off half the cherries and place on the mousse and roll up.
10. Decorate with the rest of the cherries, syrup and some icing sugar. Eat. Happy Christmas!