Meringue roulade with pomegranate seeds














Ingredients

4 egg whites
225g caster Sugar
300ml whipped cream
non-scented oil, eg. sunflower or groundnut oil, for greasing
1-2 Pomegranates
1-2 tsp rose blossom water
unsprayed rose petals, if available



Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2.

2. Put the egg whites into a spotlessly clean bowl of a food mixer. Break up with the whisk and add the caster sugar in one go. Whisk at full speed until it holds a stiff peak - this will take around 4 - 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, line a 30.5 x 20.5cm Swiss roll tin with tin foil, brush lightly with a non-scented oil.

4. Spread the meringue gently over the tin with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, it ought to be quite thick and bouncy, crisp on the outside but still soft in the centre. Leave to cool.

5. Meanwhile, cut the pomegranates in half around the equator and flick out the seeds. Sprinkle them with a few drops of rose blossom water. Taste and add more if necessary, or they may need a little sugar.

6. To assemble, put a sheet of tin foil on the work top and turn the roulade upside down onto it, remove the tin foil from the top. Spread most of the whipped cream and most of the the pomegranate seeds over the meringue, roll up from the long side and carefully ease onto a serving plate. Pipe 6-8 rosettes of cream along the top of the roulade, decorate with the reserved pomegranate seeds and rose petals.

7. Serve, cut into slices about 2.5cm thick.

Cook's note: this roulade is also very good filled with raspberries, strawberries, loganberries, sliced peaches, nectarines, kiwi fruit, bananas, mango and passionfruit or homemade lemon curd.