Sometimes people will just pop over unannounced on a Sunday afternoon, leaving you in a total quandary of what to feed them, without even mentioning, the stresses of the lunch time washing up still in the sink! Wet towels on the bathroom floor, kids toys, computer games, fizzy cans and sweet wrappers everywhere.
Well, a swiss roll is an easy answer to the feeding, from cupboard to table within 45 mins, because it hasn't any fat in it, it's so light it cools very quickly, enabling you to fill and roll within minutes of it leaving the oven. It can be filled with lots of different things, any type of jam, either on its own or with buttercream, whipped double cream, mascarpone and icing sugar mixed together, really whatever you have in the store cupboard or fridge.
A few sandwiches and everyone is happy, they may even go away saying what a wonderful hostess you had been or they could just tell everyone what a frightful mess your home is, but if they are true friends, they will love you mess and all, but a little bribery never hurts!
- 4 eggs
- 115g plain flour
- 115g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- You'll also need a greased and lined swiss roll tin (41cmX28cm)
Mix sugar and eggs until light and fluffy and volume is quadrupled in size, and leaves ribbons on top of the batter.
Fold in vanilla bean paste, then flour taking care to keep as much air in as possible. Spoon into a lined swiss roll tin, bake in either the top AGA oven or @ 220 for 10 mins. Turn out onto a clean tea towel sprinkled with caster sugar, leave to cool.
Make an indentation about an inch from the edge with a knife, taking care not to cut all the way through. Cut off edges.
Once cool spread over jam and whatever else you fancy as a filling, roll with tea towel, rolling away from you, pushing the tea towel as you go.
