Hazelnut Berry Roulade

So good! Light and airy. The French meringue dissolves in your mouth like spun sugar and the berries and cream give it a perfect summer taste! Roasted hazelnuts add so much depth.

When I was creating this roulade, I had a lot of time to think. Whipping eggs whites, even in a stand mixer, takes some time. I’ve done it with a hand mixer before and felt like both of my arms were going to fall off. It’s totally worth it for the end result, but I felt extra fortunate to have my KitchenAid stand mixer. I got it on huge discount, which is a whole other story! I’ll get to that on another post.

But while I was watching my eggs whites whip and stared into the frothy mess that would eventually become the glossy, high shine base for this spectacular dessert, I was thinking about Jordan and Annie.

Their prequel, One Wright Stand, is releasing this Friday, April 16. So, I’ve been head first in promotion and marketing and the less than fun parts of this incredible writing job. But while I was sitting there, I couldn’t help thinking how much these two feisty, fiery couple would love this.

Annie is about to go to medical school. Jordan is in town visiting his cousins. Neither of know who the other is and yet they’re immediately attracted. And when Annie finds him at her best friend, Sutton’s, Wright family pool party, she’s 100% IN! This is going to happen and it’s going to be HOT! (AND FREE!)

So, this delicious roulade is in honor of their upcoming release and the start of a hot summer!

Ingredients

• 5 extra-large egg whites
• 150g/1 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 50g hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• splash vanilla
• berries

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 365°F

2. Butter and line a 11 x 17″ pan with parchment paper. (You can butter the parchment too if you really don’t want this roulade to stick to it.

3. Make the French meringue: Place your egg whites in a very clean bowl (metal/glass preferable because plastic holds onto residue and prevents the whites from rising) with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until reached soft peaks. Then add your superfine sugar to the mix a spoonful at a time, gradually increasing the speed until you are on high. Once all the sugar has been added, keep it on high for another 2-3 minutes and then test for stiff peaks.

What are soft vs stiff peaks? Soft peaks are when you can take the whisk out of the bowl and the tip of the meringue falls over like the top of a Dairy Queen cone. Stiff peaks are what we want, if you know what I mean. We want the tip of the meringue to stand at a attention. It should be so stiff that you can hold the bowl over your head and it doesn’t come out. See above.

4. Roast the hazelnuts: Put your chopped hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 7-10 minutes until they’re fragrant. Take out of the oven and let cool.

5. Evenly spread the meringue into the pan leaving 1/2″ on either side. This will expand a lot in the oven so you want some room for it to grow. Spread hazelnuts on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. It should feel dry on the top and marshmallowy in the middle.

6. Place a kitchen towel over the meringue while it’s still hot and flip the pan over. Peel off the parchment paper. Then starting with the long side, slowly begin to roll the meringue into the towel. Let cool completely.

7. Make the whipped cream: Put the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with the whisk attachment on high. (You can put the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes if desired.) Whip until soft peaks are reached 5-7 minutes.

8. Gently unroll the meringue. Spread the whipped cream over the inside and add your berries. (Note: you can mash your berries up some to release the juice). Carefully reroll the meringue without the towel. Decorate the top with leftover whipped cream and berries or eat plain. Best cut into slices and eaten the same day. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours. The base meringue can keep in the fridge unfilled for 2-3 days, if you want to make it ahead.

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Thanks so much for checking out my roulade recipe. If you decide to make it, leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Also, don’t forget that One Wright Stand is releasing Friday. Grab your copy here!

♡ Kyla