Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Whisk the egg whites until very stiff. Still beating at full speed, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well before each addition. Whisk until quite stiff and all the sugar has been incorporated. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Spread the meringue mixture into the tin and sprinkle over the almonds. Bake for about 10 minutes until a pale golden brown. Now lower the temperature to 140°C and bake the roulade for a further 10-12 minutes. It should be firm to the touch. Remove the meringue from the oven and turn, almond side down, onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Remove the paper from the base of the cooked meringue and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the cream until it is stands in peaks, then gently mix in the raspberries. Spread the raspberries and cream evenly over the meringue. A large palette knife is handy for this.

Now, with the help of the non-stick baking paper, roll the meringue from the long end, fairly tightly, until nicely rolled up. Wrap in the non-stick baking paper and chill before serving.

This freezes extremely well. Open freeze on a baking sheet, wrap in foil and allow 8 hours at room temperature to defrost before serving. If you are making the roulade specifically for freezing use frozen raspberries and just add to the cream. Freeze the whole roulade and defrost when required.

Variations: Use strawberries or blackberries instead of the raspberries.