Instructions
Luxury is a relative concept. For some people it can be nothing other than Krug champagne and fine caviar, served with a view of the Champs Elysee – great if you can afford it. For others it is soaking in an aromatic tub for hours on end with the bubbles piled high. Some people just want an hour in a quiet room.
But no one knows luxury quite like a child. For the very young it is simple – luxury is every time you get what you want.
As a ten year old, the high point of luxury for me was a jam rollette. It’s nothing fancy, sure, but it has its own unique charm. I think the attraction for me was that very simplicity – an uncomplicated idea executed well.
OK, ‘executed well’ might be a bit of a stretch for describing the supermarket cakes, but to a kid they’re fairly special.
The original rollettes were special indeed, they were known as Swiss Rolls and were first made by the talented pastry chefs of Budapest. Why call them ‘Swiss’? Well that part is not so clear, but the apochryphal version claims that a Swiss pastry chef may have been in the employ of the Habsburg emperor at the time.
The Swiss Roll starts with a well-made sponge cake, lighter than air and spread in a thin sheet. In order to be flexible, it can’t be over-baked, hence the oven must be hot to reduce the baking time. As soon as it is baked, dust with icing sugar to form a fine syrup layer on top as this helps soften the cake. Cover immediately with baking paper and a tea towel, then roll up and set aside to cool.
It is only by rolling the sponge when just baked that the eventual shape can be made. A flat sheet of sponge will crack when filled and coiled. Speaking of fillings, there’s no shortage of choices. Rapsberry jam, vanilla cream, mocha custard, or even a decadent chocolate ganache. You see, once you’ve mastered its elegantly simple technique it’s up to you to work out just what makes a Swiss Roll luxurious.
Swiss-roll