Swiss roll
Serves 8
4 medium eggs
100g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
100g self-raising flour
200g jam
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Line a 25cm x 38cm Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking paper.
Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale and leaves a ribbon when you remove the beaters or whisk.
Sift half of the flour into the egg mixture and gently fold it in using a large metal spoon, then repeat with the remaining flour. Take your time and be gentle doing this to keep as much air as possible in the sponge mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and use a palette knife to spread it into the corners. Bake in the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden and just firm to the touch.
While it’s baking, lay a clean damp tea towel on your work surface. Put a piece of non-stick baking paper that’s bigger than the Swiss roll tin on top of the towel, then sprinkle some extra caster sugar all over the paper. Give the jam a good stir to make it more spreadable – you can heat it ever so slightly in a saucepan or in the microwave if required.
When the sponge is cooked, turn it out onto the sugar-coated paper so that the top of the sponge is now pressed against the sugar. Peel off the baking paper from the bottom of the sponge, which is now facing up. Spread the jam all over the sponge but leave a thin border (about 2cm) clear on each side.
Lifting the paper edge that’s closest to you, gently start rolling up the sponge, using the paper to help you roll. It’s easiest to do this while the sponge is still warm. Allow to cool completely, seam side down.
Trim off the ends to neaten up the roll before cutting into slices to serve.
Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich is published by Nine Bean Rows (€25)
Sherry trifle
Serves 8–10
For the Swiss roll layer:
1 x shop-bought Swiss roll
4 tbsp sweet sherry (optional)
For the jelly layer:
350g frozen mixed berries
200ml water
1 packet of jelly – raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant all work really well
For the custard layer:
50g caster sugar
30g cornflour
2 medium egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
500ml milk
For the whipped cream layer:
500ml cream
25g icing sugar
To decorate:
glacé cherries
angelica (this can be a little hard to find nowadays, but it really adds to the retro feel)
hundreds and thousands (or any other sprinkles)
Start by cutting the Swiss roll into slices and arranging them in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Drizzle over the sherry (if using).
For the jelly layer, place the frozen fruit and water in a saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Cut the block of jelly into small pieces and add it to the warmed fruit, stirring until the jelly is dissolved. Pour this over the Swiss roll and refrigerate until set.
While the jelly is setting, make the custard. In a large bowl, make a paste with the sugar, cornflour, egg yolks, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk (taken from the 500ml).
Heat up the rest of the milk in a saucepan. Just before it starts to boil, pour the hot milk into the paste and mix well. Return the mixture to the saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Once it has reached a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and press a piece of cling film directly on the surface – this will prevent a skin forming on the custard. Allow to cool completely.
For the whipped cream layer, simply whisk the cream with the icing sugar until it forms soft peaks.
To assemble, pour the cooled custard over the jelly layer before adding the final layer of whipped cream. Decorate with the glacé cherries and angelica.
Keep chilled until ready to serve and scatter over the sprinkles just before serving.
Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich is published by Nine Bean Rows (€25)