CHOCOLATE ROULADE

THE secret to a great roulade is levity. It is a fatless, flourless, skinny sponge made to be stuffed with whipped cream and rolled. Is there a dessert more of a faff or more naff? I’m not sure who makes these outside of the GBBO tent. MARY RECIPE Mary’s version is trickier to make as the chocolate has to be melted in a Bain Marie first, but otherwise the recipes are similar. Mary uses cocoa to Prue’s coffee and calls for a Swiss roll tin, which I don’t have, so I improvise. Badly as it turns out. My sponge is much fatter than it should be, but rolling instructions are better than in Prue’s recipe, and it only cracks once. Mary says part of a roulade’s charm is the inevitable split down the middle, but mine is more of an earthquake.

EASE 2/5 TASTE 4/5 PRUE RECIPE When Leonard Cohen sang ‘there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in’, it is as if he had my roulade in mind. As I peel off the baking paper it was cooked on, it breaks into five pieces. I’ve cooked many roulades but none as catastrophic. Semi-salvation comes through judicious use of cream and a liberal sprinkling of icing sugar. I have low hopes for its taste but it is the best roulade I’ve ever eaten. It contains dark chocolate and a shot of coffee, which give it a depth of flavour. It may be ugly but it is the tastiest. Cracks aside, top marks for Prue-dence – she makes her sponge using an everyday roasting tin. Along with short ingredient lists, not having to buy special kit ranks highly.

EASE 2/5 TASTE 5/5