Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd { gluten-free }

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This Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd is a light and airy dessert featuring a spongy meringue cake rolled around billowy whipped cream kissed with honey and orange blossom water, dribbles of luscious mandarin curd, and fresh juicy mandarin segments. The only word to describe it is sublime.

These days, meringue desserts seem to come out of my oven at a higher frequency than any other. You might say we are obsessed with them. For one, they are naturally gluten-free and two, everyone just really enjoys them!

In my humble opinion, meringues live their best life when tumbled together with barely-sweetened cream and fresh fruits. If you’re feeling extra, a citrus curd adds a rich dimension while conveniently using up orphaned egg yolks from making the meringue. If that’s not delicious serendipity, I dunno what is.

All of it gets rolled up snug as a bug inside a marshmallow-y duvet of cardamom-flavored meringue. More fresh fruit and a smattering of crunchy slivered almonds on top is the perfect touch for a beautiful presentation and for each perfect, textured bite.

A meringue roulade is best enjoyed immediately or shortly after assembly. Over time, the meringue will soften as it absorbs moisture from the filling. It will still taste wonderful but begin to lose that sublime crunchy, chewy, marshmallow-y delightfulness that is meringue. If you must store it a few hours (or more), keep it refrigerated but unwrapped. The air seems to keep at least the exposed meringue dry longer. It’s also a good idea to blot dry all the fresh fruit before using to minimize wetness. Lastly, reserve the slivered almonds for sprinkling just before serving to maintain their crunch. It’s all about the layers and textures!

Make sure to read my Tips and FAQs, and have a look at the process photos!

Eat well and be well,

Sonia

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Tips and FAQs for Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade

• Bake time (IMPORTANT): The meringue must be soft enough to roll yet properly cooked through i.e. firm enough to hold its shape once rolled up, and have that ideal mouthfeel – dry, chewy, crispy. In this recipe, the meringue is baked at 325f for 30 minutes. As we all know, timing can vary based on the oven! Be aware that it could take a little less or in my case, more time to bake through (mine took an extra couple of minutes). Also refer to the images included in the blog post for visuals. Take note:

  • Coming out of the oven, the surface should look dry and a little crackly, slightly golden brown, and a bit puffed up.

  • Unmolding it from the parchment, it should feel slightly tacky but should lift off relatively easily with a firm and slow approach. If it feels sticky or starts breaking, your meringue might be undercooked / too wet. Hopefully you can dry it out further by putting it right back into the 325f oven and bake longer, testing along the way until it is properly cooked through. Don’t overcook either – remember it should still feel pliable and soft enough to roll.

• Use a kitchen scale: Ideally, weigh your whites on a scale since not all “large eggs” are identical. Four large egg whites in any meringue recipe should weigh 5 oz. Now that you have your scale out, you may as well weigh your sugar too which should be 250g.

• Separating the Whites: Any yolk (fat) in the meringue will cause collapse. I always recommend separating the whites from the yolks while the eggs are fridge-cold because it is the easiest to get a clean separation. Then if you have the time, allow the whites to come to room temperature because it will whip up flufflier than cold egg whites.

• Cream of Tartar: This comes in powder form, not cream as the name suggests. I get mine at Bulk Barn. It is an acid that helps keep the structure of the whipped whites so it doesn’t collapse. You can also use white vinegar to do the job – see recipe below.

• Dairy-free whipped cream: I sometimes make whipped coconut cream as a dairy-free alternative.

• Mandarin substitution: If mandarins are not in season, substitute orange juice in the curd and fresh orange segments inside the roulade.

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Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd

The meringue part of this recipe was adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Meringue Roulade with Rose Petals and Fresh Raspberries recipe in Plenty More.

Yield: 8

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Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd

A light and airy dessert featuring a spongy meringue rolled around whipped cream kissed with honey and orange blossom water, dribbles of luscious mandarin curd, and fresh juicy mandarin segments. The only word to describe it is sublime.

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

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Ingredients

For the Mandarin Curd (makes 1 Cup, you will have extra)

• 4 egg yolks
• ½ C fresh mandarin juice (from about 3-4 mandarins)
• 6 tbsp honey
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter

For the meringue:

• 4 large egg whites (140g or 5 oz)
• 1 ¼ C (250g) superfine sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar OR 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

For the honey-sweetened cream:

• 1½ C (355ml) whipping cream
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1-2 tbsp honey, or to taste

For inside the meringue roulade and for garnishing the top:

• 1 C mandarin segments, halved, for inside the roulade
• 1-2 mandarins, peeled and sliced, for the top
• 2 tbsp almond slivers, toasted lightly, for the top
• Optional: A smattering of any other small fruit like berries (I had nergi berries in the blog photos)

Instructions

1. For the Mandarin Curd: Place and whisk yolks, juice, honey and sea salt into a bowl set over a pot with 1” simmering water aka a double boiler. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water at all. Whisk in 1 tbsp of butter at a time until melted. Increase the heat to “low” and cook the mixture, continually stirring, until tiny bubbles are visible or the temperature reaches 170f and when the mixture is obviously thickened. To check, coat a spoon with the curd and run a finger down the middle of it. It should be thick enough to leave a clear opened path. Pour into a cool container to cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Keeps well refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for a week.
2. For the meringue: Prepare the mixing bowl / whisk and separate the egg whites: Take out a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and the whisk attachment. Make sure both are completely clean and free of any grease or water. While the eggs are still cold (they are easier to separate when cold), separate the whites from the yolk, being very careful not to get a single drop of yolk in your whites. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature - this will help them be fluffier when you whisk them.
3. Prepare the meringue: Preheat oven to 325f. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites on high (level 8 on stand mixer) until soft peaks which means the peaks are just starting to hold but doesn't stand on their own. Don’t overwhip. It may only take a minute or two. This link provides a great visual guide for soft, medium, firm peaks. Add the sugar in by the spoonful as you continue whisking. Stop to scrape the sides half way through. After all the sugar is in, stop to scrape down the sides one more time and continue beating for 2-3 minutes more until thick and glossy, and the sugar is completely dissolved - confirm by rubbing a bit between your fingers and there should be no (or minimal) grit. Stir in cream of tartar (or vinegar), vanilla extract, cornstarch and powdered cardamom. Run the mixer until just mixed well.
4. Form and bake the meringue: Dab a bit of that meringue hanging off your spatula onto the underside of the prepared parchment in all four corners - this keeps it from lifting up when you spread the meringue. Scoop the meringue onto the center of the baking sheet and begin spreading it with your spatula into a rectangle approximately 13” x 9”. Bake for 30 minutes or until a crush forms and the meringue is cooked through. It will still feel soft to the touch. Remove from oven and cool in the pan. Unmold the meringue onto a fresh piece of parchment paper. Carefully peel off the lining paper it was baked on.
5. Make the honey-sweetened cream: Place the whipping cream, orange blossom water and honey into the clean bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk low at first to avoid splatter (around speed 4 on a stand mixer) and increase the speed as it thickens until high speed (about 8). Keep a close eye on it as it whips. You want softly whipped cream that is just holding its shape. Do not overmix.
6. Assemble the meringue roulade: Spread all except a quarter cup of the cream onto the original underside of the meringue, leaving a small border around the edges. Scatter the cut mandarin pieces all over. With the aid of the paper, starting from a long edge, roll the meringue into a log. Transfer the log onto your serving dish. Spread the remaining cream along the top of the log. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Serve: Dust with confectioner’s sugar, place mandarin slices and scatter almond slivers and optional berries on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

492

Fat

29 g

Sat. Fat

17 g

Carbs

57 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

56 g

Sugar

55 g

Protein

6 g

Sodium

52 mg

Cholesterol

171 mg

Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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