Frugal Cookie: Strawberry and Rose Meringue Roulade

I tried a dried rose petal just as it comes from the glass bottle, it wasn't great and I was thinking that cooking with this would definitely be a mistake, how wrong I was!

Further to my previous post I have found a use for the dried rose petals my inspiration cake from this beautiful Ottolenghi recipe

I didn't really follow the recipe too much just used it for a little inspiration. Here's the ingredients you need to create the strawberry and rose roulade.

For the meringue
4 Large egg whites
150g granulated sugar
150g caster sugar

For the filling
1/2 tub of cream cheese
300ml double cream
150g caster sugar
10 strawberries sliced
2 tsp dried rose petals
1 tbsp. rose water

For the strawberry rose sauce
1 tsp dried rose petals
2 tbsps. rose water
3 tbsps. granulated sugar

Firstly I made the meringue by whisking my egg whites until stiff and then adding the sugar a tbsp. at a time - I had a little helper who added the sugar whilst I whisked.

I then added the mix into a lined swiss roll tin and baked for 30 mins on about 140c. Once ready I turned this onto some tin foil and left to cool for 10 mins.

Whilst the meringue cooled I whisked the cream cheese along with the caster sugar and rose water. Once combined I added the double cream and whisked until thick (not whipped, just a little before that stage)

I then smoothed the creamy mixture over the flat roulade and added the strawberries and the dried petals. Now for the hard part, I carefully rolled the roulade.

This was them decorated with some more dried petals and the rest of the cream mixture, strawberries and sauce.

So, what do you think? Looks nice right? But what does it taste like, bear in mind the rose petals weren't a hit on their own.

This was absolutely delicious, I have already bought the ingredients to make another tomorrow. The roulade you see in the picture is actually half of one, I cut it as I didn't have a plate long enough for it.

It was beautifully soft with a very light crisp crunch and the cream and cheese filling was very light and ever so slightly rose flavoured. the rose petals weren't dry as they had soaked up the moisture from the filling and had a great flavour and texture.

This was a hit with all who tried it and my boyfriend has already asked for more, even saying that this is one of best desserts I have ever made him!

If you have this ingredient in your cupboard the above is a recommended recipe for you to try. If you don't have this ingredient in your cupboard I would still recommend the above recipe.

In my search for the perfect dried rose petal recipes I came across several ideas, here are some of my favourites.