Blackberry & Coffee Roulade

1.15.19

My first post of the new year! We’re two weeks into 2019 and I have been hibernating like a queen. Well, as much as a New Yorker can. I’ve still ventured out for work, auditions, the gym and groceries but I’ve avoided basically anything else not on that list. The holidays were wonderful, and full of friends and love and lots and LOTS of baking. So when New Years Day hit, I was burnt out. I wanted to be by myself or just my husband, I didn’t want to plan anything with anyone and I didn’t want to bake three things in one day. I wanted to take a minute from busting out the flour first thing after I poured myself a cup of coffee.

That slight breather allowed me to feel ready to begin tackling the list of ideas for baking projects I keep adding to. This roulade is one of them! A meringue roulade is just so gosh darn yummy, and rustic and underappreciated. I made it for the first time over the holidays and friends were shocked at how much they truly enjoyed it. It’s not the most American dessert, so it lives in an unknown world, only to be discovered while watching one of the many trendy baking shows all over TV. Well let me tell you, it’s a dessert worth adding to your repertoire. It’s crispy and chewy and can be filled with whatever cream or curd or fruit or frosting you desire. And as I sit at this very moment drinking my coffee and snacking on my leftover blackberries, I can’t help but be reminded of what a perfect combination these two are. There is something about the tartness of the berries with the smoothness of the coffee buttercream all wrapped up in chocolate meringue that really makes you feel like it’s still the holiday season.

The most frustrating part of this whole process was taking pictures. It’s hard to make something so derpy look appetizing, even though it IS so delicious. I let the edible glitter do the work for me. I hope I did it justice because it’s a charming dessert that would make a perfect ending to any dinner party.

Blackberry & Coffee Roulade

Ingredients

For the Blackberry Jam

• 1 lb blackberries + extra blackberries for decor
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• zest from one lime
• juice from half of lime

For the Meringue Roulade

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar*
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• confectioners sugar for sprinkling
• edible gold glitter, if desired

For the Coffee Frosting

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2-3 tbsp coffee syrup (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)

Instructions

For the Blackberry Jam

• In a medium saucepan, heat blackberries on low-medium heat, using a masher, start to break them apart
• Stir occasionally, once they start to bubble, add in the rest of the ingredients and stir, continuing to break up the berries
• Turn heat to low and allow to thicken and break down for 30 minutes, stirring a few times
• Transfer to a heatproof bowl, allow to cool, then cover with plastic wrap and chill to cool fully
• Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before spreading on roulade

For the Meringue Roulade

• Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350
• In a stand up mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the room temperature egg whites until they begin to foam and look cloud-like
• Once soft peaks begin to form, start adding in sugar, one tablespoon at a time steadily until all is added
• Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form, you should be able to hold it over your head upside down and it won’t move
• Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder over meringue, add in vinegar and fold in all three with a sturdy spatula or metal spoon until no streaks remain and meringue is a very light cocoa color
• Transfer meringue to lined jelly roll pan and spread evenly to fill entire pan, make sure to get into all corners
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, meringue should have a crisp crust but still be soft and spongy underneath
• Allow to cool in pan

For the Coffee Frosting

• Bring 1-2″ of water in a medium sauce pan to a simmer
• Whisk together egg whites and sugar in bowl of stand up mixer and place bowl over simmering water
• Continue whisking until egg whites reach 160 degrees
• Immediately transfer to stand up mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until bowl is cool to the touch, about 7-10 minutes
• Switch to paddle attachment and on medium speed begin adding cubes of butter, allowing it to just combine before adding the next
• Once all butter is combined, add in vanilla and coffee syrup, continue to beat until smooth, silky and thick
• Turn to low speed for 10 seconds to get all the air out
• Set aside until ready to use, Swiss buttercream keeps great at room temperature. If you plan to use later, transfer to an airtight container and keep in fridge, bring to room temperature and whisk to bring back to original consistency before using.

To Assemble

• Place parchment paper on flat surface and dust with confectioners sugar
• Flip meringue onto parchment paper, carefully peel paper off bottom of meringue
• Reserve 1/4 cup of frosting and spread the rest on top of meringue, leaving a 1″ border around edge
• Spread blackberry jam evenly on top of frosting, leaving about 1-2″ border from edge of frosting to avoid excess spillage when you roll
• Make a cut 2″ in the meringue, along one of the vertical sides, DO NOT cut all the way to the bottom, about 3/4 of the way down in the meringue
• Fold over this cut tightly to create what will be the center of your spiral
• Using the parchment paper to help, continue to fold over and tightly roll meringue into a spiral, it will crack, it’s supposed to
• Place the reserved coffee frosting in a piping back with a ribbon tip, pipe frosting in a ribbon pattern down the center of the roll
• Brush a little edible gold glitter onto reserved blackberries and place along frosting ribbon and around the sides to decorate
• Keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature when not enjoying, do not refrigerate

P.S

*If you don’t have caster sugar I strongly recommend pulsing your granulated sugar in an immersion blender or food processor to make some. It made a world of difference when it came to having a smooth meringue before baking