Wishing you all a Very Happy and Delicious Christmas.

 

White Chocolate and Chestnut Christmas Roulade

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8

Roulade:

200g good quality white chocolate

5 eggs, separated

75 g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod – seeds only

A good pinch of salt

Icing sugar

Filling:

300ml double cream

2 tablespoons brandy

2 tablespoons icing sugar

125g sweetened chestnut puree

To decorate:

125ml double cream

15 blueberries berries

10 small mint leaves

1 egg white

2-3 tablespoons caster sugar

50g white chocolate, coarsely grated

3x 30x35cm pieces of silicone paper, a damp tea towel.

Method

Line a 30x35cm baking tray with one of the pieces of silicone paper. Pre heat the oven to 180c/gas 4.

Break the chocolate into a bowl and melt it over a pan of hot water. Alternatively melt it in a microwave on a medium low setting for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and runny.

Divide the eggs putting the yolks into one large mixing bowl and the whites into a second large mixing bowl.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff and then whisk in half of the caster sugar.

Add half the remaining caster sugar to the egg yolks, add the vanilla seeds and whisk until pale and thick. Pour in the melted chocolate and stir to combine.

Take one spoonful of the whisked egg whites and mix this into the chocolate to loosen the consistency. Tip in the remaining egg whites and fold in using a large metal spoon.

Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Remove it from the oven and place the tin on a cooling tray. Cover the top of the roulade with a second piece of greaseproof paper and then with the damp tea towel. Leave it to cool completely.

To finish the roulade, sprinkle a the final piece of greaseproof liberally with icing sugar and tip the cooled roulade onto it.

Put the cream, icing sugar and the brandy into a large bowl and whip until it is just beginning to thicken. Add the chestnut puree and whisk to combine and then until the cream reaches the soft peak stage. Spread evenly over the roulade.

Roll up the roulade from the narrow end using the paper to guide you and ensure a firm roll. Wrap the roulade in this piece of paper and chill until ready to decorate or freeze at this stage.

To Decorate

Put the egg white into a small bowl and whisk until it is frothy. Put the sugar onto a small plate. Brush the blueberries with egg white and then dust with the sugar. Set them on a plate and let the sugar dry.

Whip 125ml double cream to the soft peak stage. Spoon evenly over the top of the roulade and spread roughly with a small palate knife.

Arrange the blueberries on top of the roulade in clusters of three and decorate each cluster with 1-2 of the mint leaves. Scatter the grated cholate into the spaces between the berries.

Using two pallet knives lift the roulade carefully onto a serving platter, chill for a few hours before serving.

Serve with –  spiced poached plums from the Muscovado Pavlova recipe –  Muscovado Pavlova with maple cream, poached plums, fresh figs and blackberries, topped with maple caramelized pecans , or the fresh fruit compote  from Christmas Breakfast in a Pot: Flavoursome home-made yoghurt topped with lashings of fresh fruit.

Wishing you a delicious Christmas!