Recipes

Chosen from Annie Bell’s Gorgeous Desserts

Serves 6-8

    500g cranberries
    350g caster sugar (refined)
    Icing sugar for dusting
    5 medium egg whites, at room temperature
    300ml whipping cream

Place the cranberries in a medium pan with 100g of the sugar, cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the berries are soft and surrounded by juice. Press the cranberries and juice through a sieve, then return the puree to the pan and simmer to reduce it by about half, stirring towards the end. Pour it into a bowl, cover and leave to cool then chill it for about an hour before you start the roulade.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 6. Butter and line a 32 x 22cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper. Cut out a sheet of baking paper 42 x 32cm and dust lightly with icing sugar. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff, then sprinkle over a tablespoon of the remaining sugar at a time, whisking well with each addition until you have a stiff glossy meringue; I use a hand-held electric whisk. Spoon it into the tin and level. Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 140C/280F/gas mark 3 and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and firm when pressed.

Run a knife around the edge of the meringue and turn out onto the baking paper. Leave to cool to room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Whip the cream until it forms fluffy but firm peaks. Stir the cranberry puree to thin it, then spoon a third over the surface of the cream and fold it over a couple of times to marble it. Remove the top paper from the meringue, spoon the cream down the centre and smooth it over the top using a palette knife, leaving a rim. Now roll the roulade up, from a short end, using the baking paper underneath to help. Place on a plate and chill until required. Liberally dust with icing sugar shortly before eating and serve in slices with the remaining puree drizzled over.