Chocolate Hazelnut Roulade for Passover

No wheat? No problem! This recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Roulade from Michelle Berriedale-Johnson’s Cooking Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free uses eggs to make a light and delicious rolled cake, perfect for your seder. Cooking Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free is available as an eBook here.

Chocolate Hazelnut Roulade

Chocolate roulade was a real favourite in the 1960s and not only very delicious but naturally gluten and wheat free. However, in the original it was filled with whipped double cream — not so good for dairy intolerants. But by substituting chopped nuts and a thin layer of yogurt or cream cheese for the cream not only does it become dairy free but it takes on a whole new life as a dessert.

Serves 6

Ingredients

150g/5oz dairy-free dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

4 eggs

150 g5oz caster sugar

2 Tbsp water

150g/5oz hazelnuts or mixed hazelnuts and almonds

icing sugar to decorate

thick sheep’s or goat’s yogurt, thick soya fruit yogurt, plain goat’s sheep’s or soya cream cheese

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2. Line a Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper and brush it well with oil.
3. Break the chocolate into a double boiler or basin over hot water or in a microwave and melt it slowly.
4. Meanwhile separate the eggs and whisk the yolks with the caster sugar till the mixture is lemon coloured.
5. Remove the chocolate from the heat, stir in the hot water, then mix the chocolate with the egg yolk mixture.
6. Whisk the whites till they hold their shape then fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour this into the Swiss roll tin, make sure it is evenly spread and bake it for 15 minutes or till it holds its shape when lightly pressed with a finger.
7. Make sure the oven shelf is level or you will get a lopsided roll.
8. Once the roulade is cooked, take it out of the oven, cover it with a clean sheet of greaseproof paper and then with a wet tea towel. Leave it for at least a couple of hours.
9. Meanwhile chop the nuts coarsely in a food processor then toast them in a dry pan, under a grill or in the oven but take care that they do not burn.
10. To finish the roulade, remove the tea towel and greaseproof on top and turn it onto a third piece of greaseproof paper, lightly dusted with icing sugar. Carefully peel off the lower sheet of paper — as long as you greased it well it should come off quite easily.
11. Lightly ‘butter’ the roulade with whichever yogurt or cream cheese you can eat then sprinkle over a thick layer of nuts reserving a few to decorate.
12. Carefully roll it up using the lower sheet of paper and turn it onto a serving dish.
13. Decorate by shaking a little icing sugar and the remaining nuts over the top/
14. Chill it for a couple of hours before serving alone or with more of whatever cream, yogurt or ice cream you can eat.