SWEET TIMES WITH SWISS ROLLS - STRAWBERRIES

'This one smells like strawberry."
Lusy Garcia

Helen @ Tartlette posted about dried strawberries & macarons, & it transported me back to remininsencing about the good days we enjoyed with strawberries this past Spring. There's something about this berry that draws you to it. I want to grab a handful & enjoy them, but they also cast a spell on me. Can't just eat them as is ... got to do more.They're done for the season here, but I had a couple of last things I did with them. This is one of them, & there'sne moreore, a meringue slice cake, that's the last one! Of course, had they been here still, I would have made this beautiful Strawberry Bruschetta too that Chris @ Melle Cotte did.

I made this because I wanted something light & with minimum fuss to the baking. With high summer temperatures here, electricity has been playing truant ... more not there, than there (same story,different year for those who read my blog last year...he he). Some say I'm playing with fire by still attempting to bake, but what's life without adventure? I've been lucky so far, & tread the path carefully. My summer baking is often limited to stuff that needs to bake for under 30 minutes, & I never pop in something into the oven on the hour! You see, that's how power cuts here work!!

I love the idea of a Swiss roll. Minimum ingredients, no recipe pages needed after you make it a couple of times, baking time of 10 minutes, & dress it or don't ... it tastes great either way. Play around with flavours if you like ... the choices are unlimited!STRAWBERRY SWISS ROLL
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup Castor sugar (I used powdered vanilla sugar)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract Filling:
100ml whipping cream (we get a 25% cream here/low fat)
1/2 cup curd cheese (or use just cream if you like)
200gms strawberries (reserve 1-2 for garnishing)
3-4 tbsps Castor sugar 3-4 (adjust according to tartness of berries)
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line, grease & dust a Swiss roll tin.
• Beat the eggs, essence & sugar till mousse like, & holds shape for 5 seconds (beat for almost 10 minutes).
• Lightly fold the flour in 3 goes in figure 8 movements (so as not to release the air bubbles).
• Gently turn into prepared tray & bake for 10-12 minutes till light brown & spongy.
• Turn onto a kitchen cloth sifted with Castor sugar. Remove lining & roll the cloth into a firm roll.
• Leave to cool. Unroll once cooled.
• With an immersion blender, puree 4-5 strawberries into the curd cheese. You should get a nice thick mixture. Halve the remaining strawberries, reserving a couple for garnishing if you want.
• Beat the cream with Castor sugar till it holds peaks.(put 3-4 tbsps in a plastic baggie & reserve for piping on top if desired)
• Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry curd cheese gently so that it holds shape.
• Open out the rolled sponge, & spoon it over the cake, leaving a border around. Dot the halved strawberries over the filling. Give it a dusting of vanilla sugar (optional; I like the flavour it lends). Don't overdo the strawberries or the cream might ooze out.
• Gently roll the sponge back into a roll, taking care not to squeeze the filling out. Place onto serving platter, seam side down. Trim the ends if you like. Chill for about 30 minutes & then pipe designs over it with the reserved whipped cream& sprinkle vanilla sugar.
• Chill well & serve in slices.