All the naughty things in one pud!

A few weeks overdue, but well worth a read!

Having not been well all of Saturday and missed out on my dear friend Lara's birthday tea at Sketch which I was most upset about, I thought I would comfort myself and my fellow Sunday lunch guests with a slightly adapted "Mary Berry's Chocolate Roulade" with a white chocolate cream topping and homemade blackberry coolie. 

Personally I do think that if you are making a heavy- ish pudding complete with a lot of cake and creamy goodness you should really indulge your body in one - at least- of it's five a day. A great way to hide the heaviness of a pudding I find is to add a fruity sidekick to it- whether it's a few pieces of fruit or even a coolie. I also find that I then eat a little less too. 

What you will need: 

• 175g/6oz good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 6 free-range eggs, separated
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• icing sugar
• cream cheese
• 50 g butter
• flaked almonds to be toasted
• blackberry's or any other fruit you desire

First I do recommend that you prepare yourself well, this pud needs precision and timing or else you will inevitably meet with failure. (which I may have met on my first attempt ! )

What you do:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 33cm x 23cm/13in x 9in Swiss roll tin then line the base and sides of the tin with a large sheet of greaseproof paper, pushing it into the corners. Make a small diagonal snip in each corner of the paper; this helps to fit the paper snugly into the corners of the tin. I didn't have a tin so I just spread the mixture (once ready straight on to a greaseproof sheet to size). Once cooked I then cut it down.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until stiff but not dry. If you turn the bowl upside down, the whites should be stiff enough not to fall out

Tip for separating egg yolks. Use an empty (clean) plastic bottle. Over the bowl of eggs place the bottle opening over a yolk and press the air out of the bottle slightly and then release and it will suck the egg straight in- leaving the white behind! It's actually quite fun once you get going......

• Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl with the sugar and whisk using the same whisk on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and creamy and the mixture leaves a thick ribbon-like trail when the beaters are lifted. Pour in the cooled chocolate and gently fold together until well combined.
• Gently stir two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen the mix, then fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon (you don’t want to squash out the air you have just beaten in). Sift the cocoa over the top and lightly fold it in. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently move the tin around until the mixture is level.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until risen and the top feels firm and slightly crisp. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin (expect the roulade to fall and crack a little) and set aside until cold.
• Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Lay a large piece of greaseproof paper on the work surface and dust it lightly with icing sugar. Turn the roulade out on to the paper so its lining paper is on top, then carefully peel off the paper. Spread the roulade with the whipped cream, leaving a border of about 2cm/¾in all the way around the edges. With one of the shortest edges facing you, make a cut along it with a sharp knife, going about half way through the sponge. This will help to start the rolling up. Now roll this cut edge over tightly to start with and use the paper to help continue the tight rolling, by pulling it away from you as you roll. Don’t worry if the roulade cracks - that is quite normal and all part of its charm.
• Finish with the join underneath then lift the roulade onto a serving plate or board using a large wide spatula or two fish slices.

Topping

For the topping I made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting with toasted almonds, flaked chocolate and blackberry's.

50g (2 oz) white chocolate

1 (200g) tub cream cheese, softened

100g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened

500g (1 1/4 lb) icing sugar   (more if it's too runny)

What you do:

• In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.

• In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is fluffy.
• Toast almonds over light heat (no oil) in a frying pan or work and decorate to your taste.
• I also sprinkled some dark choc chips and lined blackberries down the middle

For the coolie

• In a pan on high heat, place a punnet of blackberries and 200g sugar.
• Start stirring and breaking the blackberries down.
• Add 5tbsps water and turn on to lower heat
• Use a potato masher to break down the blackberries, which should be softening
• Leave to simmer for 5 minutes on low heat
• Set asside until cool- put in the fridge if you can for an hr or more before serving. Add some mint leaves before you put in the fridge for added refreshing taste.