LEMON AND ALMOND MERINGUE ROULADE
If you don’t want to make lemon curd, use 150g (5oz) bought curd. Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 20min. Serves 10-12
6 medium egg whites
250g (9oz) caster sugar
¼tsp almond essence
1tsp cornflour
50g (2oz) ground almonds
2tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to dust
500ml (17fl oz) double cream
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
FOR THE LEMON CURD
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
75g (3oz) caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
25g (1oz) butter at room temperature, chopped
1 medium egg
1 Make the lemon curd: in a pan, whisk together lemon zest, juice, sugar and cornflour. Add butter and egg. Heat gently, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens (it will need to boil). Take off heat; cool completely.
2 For meringue, preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Line a 28 x 38cm (11 x 15in) lipped baking sheet with baking parchment. Put egg whites in a bowl; whisk with an electric handheld whisk until they hold stiff peaks. While whisking, gradually add sugar and beat until mixture is thick and glossy. Beat in almond essence and cornflour. Fold in ground almonds using a large metal spoon.
3 Spread meringue evenly in the tin; bake for 13min, or until surface is golden. While it’s baking, dust a large sheet of parchment with icing sugar.
4 Invert baked meringue on to the dusted sheet, remove tin (leave lining paper in place) and leave to cool.
5 To assemble, whip cream and icing sugar until mixture just holds its shape. Peel top paper off meringue, spread over cream, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) border on both short sides and one long side. Drizzle over lemon curd, then scatter over most of the flaked almonds.
6 With the non-bordered long side in front of you and with the help of the base paper, roll up from the long edge – rolling it on to a serving plate at the end.
7 Dust with icing sugar; scatter over rest of nuts. Serve in slices.
PER SERVING 395cals, 5g protein, 28g fat (15g saturates), 31g carbs (31g total sugars), 1g fibre
GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 6 up to a day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and chill. Complete recipe to serve.
FREEZE AHEAD Prepare to end of step 6, cover carefully with clingfilm. Freeze for up to a month. To serve, defrost in fridge, then complete recipe.