Chocolate praline meringue roulade recipe

This chocolate praline meringue roulade is an ideal pudding for when you want to pull out all the stops.

It does involve making your own meringue and rolling it - but don't be daunted, it's easier than you might think. When you're rolling up the roulade, you don't need to worry about a bit of cracking and tearing. Just keep the log together as much as you can, and remember you can cover up almost anything with a dusting of icing sugar or cocoa. It takes a little over an hour to make this pudding, plus time between steps for cooling. It's best if you don't make it too far in advance of when you'd like to eat it, but it will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Ingredients

• 150g egg whites
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• 350g milk chocolate hazelnut spread
• 150-170ml pot double cream
• 50g chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 50g dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling

Method

1. Set the oven to 150°C/320°F/Gas Mark 2. Line a 33 x 21cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in half the caster sugar. Sift the remaining sugar with the cocoa over the top, add the vinegar and fold in.
3. Spoon the meringue into the lined tin and level the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, or until just firm to the touch. Remove tin from oven and leave to cool.
4. Dust a sheet of baking parchment heavily with icing sugar, turn out the roulade and peel away the lining paper.
5. Beat the chocolate spread to soften it and spread it over the meringue. Whip cream to soft peaks, spread over chocolate spread and sprinkle over the hazelnuts. Use the baking parchment to help roll up the roulade. Put on a serving plate.
6. Fill a piping bag with melted dark chocolate and cut off the end of the bag to give a small hole. Pipe over the top of the roulade and leave to set. Keep chilled until serving.

Top tip for making chocolate praline meringue roulade

If using real chocolate, it will need to be tempered which involves making sure your chocolate melts at a specific temperature, and hardens with a shiny surface.

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