A promise kept - Almond and strawberry roulade

You know the first time you make something, that the recipe will become a staple, one you'll make over and over again.  This roulade is one of those.  It is so simple, and yet so delicious.  The sort of thing you whip up in no time at all, but then it surprises you by being so yummy. 

And everytime I make this, everybody wants the recipe. The surprising thing is that I then realize how few of my staple recipes are actually on this blog.  Probably the reason being, that they are so second nature, so easy to fall back on to, that you forget to take pictures, forget to write them down.

Well, no more.  I have promised this recipe to all and sundry and here it is.


Almond and strawberry roulade

100g almonds, blanched
100g icing caster sugar
4 eggs, room temperature, seperated
30g flaked almonds
icing sugar for dusting


For the filling
290ml double cream
225g fresh strawberries


Heat the oven to 190 C.  Line a tin with baking parchment.


Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven for 7 minutes until golden brown and then allow to cool.  Grind to a fine powder in a food processor with one tablespoon of the caster sugar.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of sugar for the egg whites and whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks in a bowl until light and thick, almost white. Fold in the ground almond mixture.
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until just stiff, then whisk in the reserved sugar.  Stir a large spoonful of the whites into the almond mixture.  Fold in the remaining egg whites carefully.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.  Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and risen.  Cool on a wire rack.  (I cool it on a damp tea towel, as I find it sticks less to the greaseproof paper).
Dust a large piece of greseproof paper with icing sugar.  Turn ou the roulade on to the paper.  Carefully peel away the baking parchment.
Whip the cream until it just holds its shape and spread it over the roulade.  Cover the cream with the strawberries, then roll up the roulade and place it on a serving dish.


And as it is so good, make two, as one is never enough.