Coconut meringue roulade with lemon curd cream and raspberries

This was such a treat to make and eat, I have always avoided making meringues for fear that it would flop but this was actually quite easy. It's a Rachel Allen recipe which I found on channel four food :)


So here's what you need: 

4 egg whites
225g (8oz) caster sugar

50g (2oz) desiccated coconut 

For the filling:
100-150ml of cream, lightly whipped 
2 tbl spoons of lemon curd
I packet of fresh raspberries

To decorate:
Icing sugar, for dusting
Fresh raspberries


To Bake:
23 x 33cm (9 x 13in) Swiss roll tin

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4. Line the Swiss roll tin with tin foil, folding the sides up to make a frame of 4cm (1 ½ in) high and squeezing the corners together. Brush lightly with vegetable oil.

Place the egg whites in the spotlessly clean bowl (stainless steel is best) of an electric food mixer (or use a hand-held electric beater) and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar all in one go (but if using a hand-held beater add the sugar in stages) and whisk at full speed for about 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Using a large metal spoon, fold in the coconut firmly and quickly. Smooth the meringue into the prepared tin with a palette knife and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until faintly browned and firm to the touch.

Allow the meringue to cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a sheet of foil (slightly bigger than the roulade) -deftly turn it upside down onto the sheet gently removing the foil on the base. Allow to cool completely. For the filling, stir the cream and curd together. Adjust to taste - be careful not to make it too bitter. 

Spread the curd cream mixture evenly over the meringue, leaving the long edge nearest to you free for about 4cm (1 ½ in). Cover the cream with the fruit. Holding the foil closest to you, roll up the roulade away from you and leave it in the foil until you are ready to serve (it will hold neatly here for a couple of hours in the fridge).

When ready to serve, unwrap the roulade and gently push it onto a serving dish using a palette knife or cake slice. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a few more raspberries and mint leaves, if you wish.