We Should Cocoa ~ James Martin's Chocolate and Strawberry Roulade

Who's stupid idea was it to set roulade as this month's We Should Cocoa challenge?  Clearly the actions of a mad woman who has never made a piggin roulade in her life!!!!  Grrrrrrrrr.  As you can see this was an unmitigated disaster, lovely tasting but that's about where it ends.  I had planned on making a few different roulades to get some practise in before making this one for the challenge but unfortunately time got away from me and I had no choice but to post my one and only attempt ... sigh!

If I was to make this again (and considering I've now gone to the expense of buying a pan I will need to justify the purchase!) I would make the two chocolate fillings well in advance and give them time to set up in the fridge before spreading over the base.  I'd also make sure that no falling objects leave dents in the cooling cake (stupid bag of brown sugar!)

Here is the recipe;

James Martin's Chocolate and Strawberry Roulade
For the base
4 free-range eggs
110g caster sugar
110g SR flour, sifted
2-3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the Filling
400ml double cream
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
200g white chocolate, finely chopped
300g strawberries, sliced
200g strawberries, to serve
2-3 tbsp icing sugar
75g dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Line a 23cm x 33cm/9in x 13in Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.

Place the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until light, fluffy and thickened.

Fold the flour into the mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the surface lightly with a spatula.

Place the tin into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. (The sponge is cooked through when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.)

Place a sheet of baking parchment, slightly bigger than the tin onto a work surface and dust with some icing sugar.

Turn the sponge out onto the parchment paper and then peel off the parchment on the bottom of the sponge. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the filling, place half of the double cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Add the dark chocolate and whisk to combine until thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, not allowing the water to touch the base of the bowl.

Whisk the remaining cream in a separate bowl to soft peaks. Add the white chocolate and mix until well combined.

Spread the dark chocolate ganache over the sponge, leaving a 2cm/1in gap along one of the longest sides.

Carefully spread the white chocolate cream over the top of the dark chocolate. Finally, scatter the sliced strawberries over the cream.

Starting at the longest edge without the 2cm/1in gap, using the parchment paper, roll the sponge up to form a pinwheel, with the chocolate inside. Press tightly to encase the filling.

For the garnish, place the strawberries into a food processor with the icing sugar and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.

Push a knife carefully over the flat side of the chocolate, to create little rolls or shards of chocolate. (Make sure that the chocolate is secured when cutting.)

Place the roulade onto a plate and dust with the cocoa powder and finish with a scattering of chocolate curls or shards. Serve with the strawberry sauce.

Serves 6-8
Saturday Kitchen

A Chocoholics Simnel Cake

I'm going to have to change the name of this cake to 'Saving My Bacon Two Easter's In A Row Cake'!  Last year, in the midst of wedding prep and trying to loose weight for the dress I decided to make a WW recipe for Chocolate Easter Nests for the family to enjoy when they came to visit.  The result was little rubber like discs that tasted revolting so I turned to my trusty Good Food Magazine that had a picture of this cake by James Martin.  Thankfully I had all the ingredients to hand so it was ready for afternoon tea and it went down a treat.

This year I was inspired after seeing Poires Au Chocolat's version of a Sinful Chocolate Simnel Cake to make my own version.  My downfall was trying to tick off more than one box with the recipe, It was not only going to be a chocolate Easter cake and the first cake to christen my new cake stand (it was a Christmas present that only arrived last weekend ~ long story but better late than never!), but also my next CBC, and as if that wasn't enough, it was also going to be my first ever entry in A Slice Of Cherry Pie's Easter Cake Bake.  It ended up in the bin - a complete disaster!  I tried to make a Chocolate Truffle Cake, a Donna Hay recipe no less so you can imagine my disappointment when the cake turned out like rubber (I'm beginning to notice a theme developing here!) and the chocolate ganache split in the most dramatic of ways!  Sigh.

Then I remembered this cake saving my bacon last year and got to work.  If it turned out OK, maybe I could still enter it into the cake bake.  I modified it a bit from last year, using a different icing which is now my all time favourite icing ever and will be going on all my cupcakes, slices, cookies, macaroon's and just about anything else I can feasibly get away with.  We took it with us to feed the troops yesterday as we helped Mother-In-Law move flat and it was quickly devoured, the cake was light, fluffy and moist with the icing sweet and smooth.  Yippee!

James Martin's White Chocolate Cake
250g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
140g white chocolate, broken into pieces
250ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g SR flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g caster sugar
2 large eggs
12 Ferrero Rocher
White Chocolate Frosting
100g white chocolate
140g unsalted butter
140g icing sugar

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C.  Grease a deep 23cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.  Place the butter, white chocolate, milk and vanilla extract in a small saucepan, then heat gently, stirring, until melted.  Combine the flour, bicarb and sugar in a large bowl with a pinch of salt, then stir in the melted ingredients and eggs until smooth.  Pour the batter into the tin, then bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool in the tin.  Once cool, the cake can be wrapped in clingfilm and foil, then frozen for up to 1 month.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatprrof bowl set over a pan of gentlysimmering water. Leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the chocolate. Cover and chill until ready to use (can be chilled for up to one month).

Serves 12
Cake recipe from Good Food
Icing recipe also from Good Food

Last year I decorated this with hazelnuts but for Easter mini eggs would also work. To turn this into a Simnel Cake I placed 12 Ferrero Rocher around the outside instead of marzipan balls.  To me, a Simnel Cake is very definitely an Easter Cake, I know in the UK its more of a Mothering Sunday tradition but as Mother's Day for us Aussie's is in May Simnel Cake has always been associated with Easter for us.  So what better way to celebrate than with a chocolate version.

James Martin's One Pot Chicken Chasseur

This is one of the dishes that James made at this year's Good Food Show.  It is my kind of meal, a warming one pot that is perfect remedy for the blustery (and at times bleak!) Autumn weather.  James made hos with chicken pieces but as Hubby as an aversion to eating meat of the bone (an issue I kind of understand) I opted to make this with chicken breast instead, although next time I'd be a bit smarter and get chicken breast's with the skin still on, absolutely no point being health conscious with one of James' recipes lol.

This made for a very tasty dinner last night, we enjoyed it with lashings of hot mashed potato and steamed fine beans.  I do seem to remember James making a HUGE song and dance about the lack of fresh tomatoes when he was making this on stage, yet the recipe in the show guide doesn't call for them at all!??!  Not sure if this is a typo or if James maybe just got himself a bit muddled up ... although, my finished product looks very different from the picture to accompany the recipe.  It was very tasty though so I was happy all the same ;0)

James Martin's One Pot Chicken Chasseur
1.6kg chicken, cut into 10 pieces (I used chicken breast only, 4-6 pieces)
1 tsp olive oil (I used rapeseed oil!)
30g butter
14 baby onions, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g small button or chestnut mushrooms, halved
225ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 sprigs fresh tarragon (I couldn't lay my hands on any so I substituted parsley instead)
500ml chicken stock

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil and 15g of the butter in a large, heavy based, lidded casserole.  add the chicken pieces and fry for 5 mins on each side until golden.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Melt the remaining 15g of butter in the pan.  add the baby onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 min.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins.  Add the red wine and tomato puree, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins to reduce.  Stir in the tarragon and pour over the chicken stock.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan.  Cover and cook in the oven for 45 mins.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 mins before serving.

Serves 4
BBC Good Food Show Guide 2010