posted by Angel 10-28-100 11:48 PM
Chestnut Roll
3/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
confectioners sugar
chestnut butter cream
shaved bitter chocolate
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the bottom of a jellyroll pan (15 x 10 x 1 inch) with wax paper or foil, trimmed to fit. Don't use the plastic wrap that sticks to itself, it will melt. Butter the paper.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat the eggs until light and foamy. Continue beating, adding
sugar slowly, until very thick and at least doubled in bulk. This will take about 10 minutes with an electric hand mixer.
Sprinkle the sifted dry ingredients over the batter and fold them in gently. Fold in the vanilla. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cake is delicately browned and the top springs back when touched lightly. Loosen the cake around the edges with a knife and turn it out on a cloth sprinkled evenly with confectioners sugar.
Working quickly while the cake is still warm, carefully remove the paper. Cut off the crisp edges of the cake with a sharp knife. Starting at the long side (and be sure it is the long side), it is instinctive to want to start the other way, gently roll up the cake right along with the towel. The towel keeps the cake from sticking to itself. Place the roll, towel and all, on a cake rack to cool. When cool, unroll the cake and remove the towel.
Spread the top with one half of the chestnut butter cream. Reroll the cake, place it on a serving platter and frost the outside of the roll with the rest of the cream. Decorate the top with chocolate.
Chestnut Butter Cream:
2 (6 oz.) cans marrons glaces or 2 small jars marrons in vanilla syrup, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 egg yolks
1/2 lb. sweet butter, softened
1/4 cup dark rum
Finely chop marrons, which is what the can will read because all candied chestnuts are imported from France. (Or for a special flavor, use fresh chestnuts. Remove from shell and follow the directions as shown.) Cut butter into small pieces. Put egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Set them all aside.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full bubbling boil. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg yolks until foamy and lemon-colored. Add the hot syrup gradually, continuing to beat until the mixture is cool. Beat in the butter, a little at a time. Stir in the rum and chestnuts.