Dark Chocolate and Chestnut Roule
This gluten-free pud makes use of chestnut puree and eggs to create a rich, decadent chocolate sponge, rolled in creamy white chocolate and more chestnut puree. Delicious with caramelised hazelnuts.
Dark Chocolate and Chestnut Roule
Serves: 10 slices
Dietary: gluten free
Ingredients:
Chocolate sponge:
150g chestnut puree – 100g cooked chestnuts blended until smooth with 50 ml of water
175g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
175g caster sugar
6 eggs - at room temperature, separated
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Cream filling:
300ml double cream
150g chestnut puree – 100g cooked chestnuts blended until smooth with 50 ml of water
150g white chocolate, broken into pieces
optional: a handful of caramelised hazelnuts
icing sugar for dusting
Method:
To make the chocolate sponge:
Lightly grease a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking parchment, pushing it into the corners.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 or 160°C for a fan assisted oven.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of steaming water.
Measure the sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk on a high speed until light and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and stir until evenly blended.
Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until forming stiff peaks. Stir one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, mix well and then very gently fold in the remaining egg whites, then the sifted cocoa.
Turn into the prepared tin and gently level the surface.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
Remove the cake from the oven, leave in the tin and place a cooling rack over the top of the cake. Place a clean damp tea towel on top of the rack, and leave for several hours or overnight in a cool place, it will sink slightly, but that’s fine.
To make the cream filling:
Mix the double cream and chestnut puree together in a bowl. Whisk the cream until it just holds its shape.
Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of steaming water.
Mix a large spoon of the whipped cream into the white chocolate, then fold the chocolate back into the rest of the whipped cream.
Put into the fridge for an hour to firm up.
To assemble the roulade:
Dust a large piece of non-stick baking parchment with icing sugar.
Turn the roulade out on to the paper and peel off the lining paper.
Make a score mark one inch in along one of the short edges. This is the edge you will start rolling from.
Spread evenly with the cream and at this point if you wish, sprinkle a few caramelised hazelnuts over the cream.
Roll up like a Swiss roll, starting with the scored short edge, roll tightly to start with and use the paper to help. Don't worry if it cracks - that's quite normal and part of its charm!
Tips:
For this recipe use a 200g pack of cooked vacuum packed chestnuts to make the chestnut puree, use half in the sponge and half in the cream filling.
Storage: Keep in the fridge, well covered so it doesn’t dry out. Keep wrapped in baking parchment and then cling film. The roulade will keep for 3 days. Serve from room temperature. The roulade will freeze well, defrost slowly in the fridge overnight by taking it out of the freezer the day before.