Crispy, marshmallowy meringue roulade filled with cheesecake, and raspberry filling, and crunchy roasted pecans. This roll is as delicious as it is stunning!
Preheat the oven to 350F℉ with the rack centered.
Add the 1 cup pecans to a sheet pan and roast for about 15 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant but not burnt. Mix as needed for even baking. Watch closely as they burn very quickly at the end.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn down the heat to 285℉.
Chop the pecans after cooling.
Line a 16" x 12" baking sheet pan with parchment.
Spread the nuts evenly on the bottom. Set aside.
Whip the Meringue:
To a thoroughly cleaned bowl (no traces of grease, or the egg whites will not up) of a stand mixer add 6 large egg whites and whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until it starts to foam up.
Then, add the 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while whipping.
Once all sugar is added, continue whipping at speed 6-7 out of 10 until the egg whites are shiny and voluminous, or about 15-20 minutes. A whisk dipped into the meringue will hold a thick "beak" that bends.
Add 1/4 cup cornstarch and the 1 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar) and gently fold it in.
Pipe the meringue:
OPTION 1: Fit a large pastry bag with an 807 Ateco round tip (1/2 inch wide). Fill the bag with the meringue.
Now, pipe lines of meringue diagonally, starting from one corner and filling the baking sheet.
OPTION 2: If you do not have a piping bag or the piping tip, you can spread the meringue into an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the pecans on top instead of having them on the bottom.
Bake the Meringue:
Bake the meringue for 30 minutes at 300F without opening the oven door. The meringue should have a thin layer of dried meringue on top and be still marshmallowy soft inside.
Then, turn off the heat. Insert a wooden spoon into the oven door and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in the turned-off oven. Then, remove the meringue from the oven to cool.
Mix the ingredients:
Add 6 oz fresh or frozen raspberries to a saucepan and use a hand blender or a potato masher to crush the berries to release the juices.
Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 3 Tbsp cornstarch and stir to combine.
Cook the raspberry sauce:
Set over medium heat and bring to a boil while continuously stirring to prevent scorching.
Keep simmering for about 60 seconds after bringing it to a boil or until it becomes very and the cornstarch taste dissipates. Do not boil too long, or the sauce will thin after thickening.
Cool the sauce:
Remove the raspberry sauce from the heat and spread on a dinner plate to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, touching the sauce to prevent a film from forming.
Once the sauce is cool, add it to a ziplock or a piping bag. Twist the end closed.
Whip cream cheese:
To a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, add 8 oz cream cheese. Whip until smooth, stopping several times to scrape down the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. This will help to make smooth cream, instead of one with lumps of cream cheese.
Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar in 2 additions and the 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion and scrape down the sides and bottom in between. Whip until it's incorporated.
Drizzle 1 cup heavy whipping cream 33-35% in 3 additions, whipping after each addition to incorporate it well into the cream cheese. Scrape down the bottom and sides as needed to prevent lumps.
Visuals: The cream should be fluffy, not runny or hard. If the cream is too runny (not whipped enough) you won't be able to pipe the dollops on top of the roll as they'll flop. If the cream is too hard (overwhipped), the dollops will have ripped tops instead of smooth peaks.
If overwhipped, add a little more liquid heavy cream and gently fold it in.
Add 1 1/2 cups of cream to a clean piping bag fitted with the same large round piping tip as the one you used for piping the meringue (Ateco 807). This will be used to decorate the top of the roll. Set aside.
Flip the meringue:
Set a sheet of parchment over the cooled meringue. Place a cooling rack on top. In one swift motion, flip the meringue onto the cooling rack, holding the baking sheet with the meringue and the cooling rack on the sides.
Now, with the meringue upside down, gently slide the parchment with the meringue back into the baking sheet, being careful not to shatter the tender meringue crust. This will help when rolling the meringue roulade.
Cheesecake frosting:
Set the baking sheet with the meringue in front of yourself horizontally.
Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly all over the meringue.
Raspberry sauce:
Now, snip the end off the piping bag with the raspberry sauce, being careful that the tip doesn't get onto the roll.
Make a zig-zag pattern with the sauce all over the cream cheese frosting, reserving 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce for the decoration.
Add raspberries:
Set aside 20 raspberries from the 8 oz fresh raspberries for decorating the top of the roll.
Spread the rest of the raspberries evenly over the cheesecake frosting, staying off the 2 inches at the far end of the meringue.
Roll the meringue roulade
Now, gently but firmly roll the meringue into a tight roll, starting from the end closest to yourself and rolling away from yourself. If the baking sheet with the meringue slides away from you as you try to roll you can set a wet kitchen towel underneath the baking sheet to prevent slipping.
Finish the roll seam side on the bottom.
Spread a small dab of cheesecake frosting in the center of the serving platter to help secure the roulade to the plate.
Now, carefully slide the meringue roulade off the parchment paper onto the dab or frosting. A flat sheet like this is perfect to help with this job, as it's flat and slides like a spatula under the roll. Press gently to adhere.
Decorate the roll
Use reserved cheesecake frosting in the piping bag to pipe over the top of the meringue roulade.
First, make about 7 extra large dollops, spreading them symmetrically in a zig-zag pattern over the top.
Now, pipe about 12 dollops of medium size in between the extra large dollops. Finally, fill in between with small dollops.
Use the bottom side of a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon to create divots in the tops of some dollops. Fill the divots with the raspberry sauce.
Add the reserved raspberries and some boxwood greenery on the sides of the piped dollops.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The Meringue Roulade can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Serve cold.
Note:
If you'd like a thicker layer of meringue, use an Ateco 809 plain round tip and only spread the meringue on a 12" x 12" area.
Copyright © 2024 Let The Baking Begin