French Food Friday...Chocolate Vanilla Roulade

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

As if you can have too much chocolate, this is perfect to finish off Easter lunch.

Chocolate Vanilla Roulade

SERVES 6-8
SPONGE
unsalted butter for the tin
3 large eggs separated
125g ● 4½ oz icing sugar sifted
50g ● 2oz cocoa sifted

TO FILL AND ROLL
extra icing sugar for dusting
250ml ● 9fl oz double or whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
50g ● 2oz dark chocolate (about 70 per cent cocoa) melted and cooled to room temperature
Easter-themed decorations optional
● Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter a 23cm x 32cm / 9in x 12½ in swiss-roll tin or similar, line the bottom with baking paper and butter this too. Whisk the egg whites until stiff in a large bowl, then sprinkle over half the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well with each addition until you have a stiff, glossy meringue.
● In another large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Fold the whites into the yolks a third at a time, then gently fold in the cocoa in two goes. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 10 minutes or until set and springy to the touch. The sponge will sink a little when it comes out of the oven.
● Lay a tea towel over a wire rack and sift over a thin layer of icing sugar. Run a knife around the sponge, turn it out on to the tea towel, peel off the paper and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
● Whisk the cream and vanilla to soft, fluffy peaks, then trickle over the cooled melted chocolate and keep folding the cream over until rippled with chocolate streaks. Spread this over the sponge. Using the tea towel to help, roll up the filled sponge into a roulade starting with a narrow end. Transfer to a plate, seam downwards, loosely cover and chill until required (it will keep well for a couple of days). Dust with icing sugar and decorate the top, if wished.

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x