2000s Recipes + Menus

Meringue Roulade with Anise Cream

Serves8 to 10
  • Active time:20 min
  • Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
November 2004

For meringue

  • Vegetable oil for greasing pan
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups superfine granulated sugar

For anise cream

  • 2 tablespoons regular granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream

  • Special equipment:

    parchment paper; an electric coffee/spice grinder

  • Accompaniment:

    baked figs

Make meringue:

  • Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan (1/2 inch to 1 inch deep) with vegetable oil and line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.
  • Beat whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add superfine sugar a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 2 minutes. Spread meringue evenly in baking pan and bake until top is pale golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes (interior of meringue will be soft). Put a sheet of parchment over meringue and invert a rack over parchment, then flip meringue onto rack and remove parchment (from baking pan) from top. Cool meringue completely, about 15 minutes.

Make anise cream and assemble roulade:

  • Finely grind sugar with anise seeds in coffee/spice grinder. Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks, then add anise sugar, beating until cream just holds stiff peaks.
  • Slide meringue (still on parchment) off rack and arrange with a long side nearest you, then spread anise cream evenly over bottom two thirds of meringue, leaving a 1-inch border on each short end. Using parchment as an aid and rolling away from you, roll up meringue. Carefully transfer roulade with 2 metal spatulas to a platter and discard paper.
Cooks’ note: Roulade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered with plastic wrap.

Recipe by Melissa Roberts

Photograph by Andrea Fazzari

Keywords
melissa roberts,
dessert,
dairy,
fruit,
figs

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