LYCHEE ROSE SWISS ROLL

SERVES 6 / PREPARATION 45 MINUTES PLUS COOLING TIME & OVERNIGHT CHILLING / COOKING 15 MINUTES

A light and fluffy swiss roll that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone. You can use geranium leaves from your garden if you have them.

ROSE & WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED GANACHE

5 rose geranium leaves, washed (optional)

175ml cream

75g white chocolate

12 canned lychees, roughly chopped

5ml rosewater

If using, put the geranium leaves in a pot with 75ml cream. Bring to a boil, cover then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. Reheat the cream until it just boils. Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate. Mix everything together until it is smooth then leave it to set in the fridge overnight. Put the lychee pieces either on a dry cloth or between paper towels to remove any excess liquid. Next day, sieve the ganache to remove the leaves and whip with the remaining 100ml of cream to stiff peaks. Add the rosewater and mix again. Once fully whipped, gently mix in the lychees.

SWISS ROLL SPONGE

4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites

35ml oil

50ml milk

2 drops red food colouring (optional)

10g strawberry or raspberry powder

50g plain flour

10g cornflour

60g sugar

Heat the oven to 160℃ fan bake and grease and line a 34cm x 23cm tin with baking paper.

Whip the egg yolks until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, milk and food colouring until just combined. Add the whipped egg yolks to the oil/milk mixture and mix gently. Sieve the strawberry or raspberry powder, flour and cornflour into the egg yolk mix and mix together until just combined.

Put the egg whites and sugar in a thoroughly clean mixing bowl and whip to medium stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter in two or three lots.

Pour into the tin and bake for 15 minutes. While the sponge is baking, prepare two pieces of baking paper slightly larger than the sponge.

Check if the sponge is baked by poking it with a knife to see if it comes out clean. If not, bake for another 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven straightaway and flip the sponge onto one piece of the prepared baking paper. Remove the tray and leave the sponge to cool.

TO ASSEMBLE

Carefully peel the baking paper from the swiss roll – the ‘skin’ or caramelised layer should peel off with the paper. If any skin remains on the sponge, gently rub it off as this side of the sponge will be the outer layer of the swiss roll. Flip the sponge onto the other piece of baking paper and remove the top piece of baking paper. Position the sponge with the short end facing you.

Put about half the whipped ganache onto the third of the sponge closest to you, creating a log of cream, then spread the remaining ganache evenly along the sponge. With the help of the bottom piece of baking paper, gently roll the sponge keeping it quite tight and ending with the seam at the bottom. To make sure it rolls tightly, use one hand to push against the swiss roll and the other to pull on the baking paper. Wrap with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to garnish.

TO GARNISH

5 canned lychees 100ml cream 10g sugar

4 rose petals

Put the lychees on a paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Whip the cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Place into a piping bag and cut the end of the piping bag on a 45-degree angle. Remove the swiss roll from the fridge, trim the ends and put onto a board ready for serving. Pipe the cream along the swiss roll continuously moving left to right. Put the lychees on top of the swiss roll and garnish with rose petals.

IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF MY CHILDHOOD TO NEW ZEALAND AND TO BE PART OF THIS WAVE OF NEW BAKING THAT EVERYONE IS GETTING SO EXCITED ABOUT.