Brazo de Mercedes

By JimnShel1

Ingredients

• Meringue:
• 10 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Custard for filling

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 115°C (250°F). Spray with baking spray, line with parchment, and spray again a 25x38cm (10x15 inch) sheet pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Start to add the sugar gradually while beating until the meringue forms very stiff, shiny peaks (do not overbeat- it would be better to underdo than overdo it). Fold in the vanilla.

Spread the meringue evenly on the prepared pan. I covered only about 25cm (10 inches) of the length for a thicker meringue. The neatness of the ends don't matter as they will be cut off. Using a cake comb or serrated knife, make a wave pattern over the surface. Bake for 30 minutes or until set, then turn on the broiler and broil for a minute or until the surface is light brown. The surface might bubble up and get deformed, but it will settle as it cools.

Place a sheet of parchment slightly bigger than the meringue sheet on the counter and dust with confectioner's sugar (or cornstarch if there's none available). Remove the meringue sheet with its parchment from the sheet pan and invert it, parchment and all, onto the dusted parchment on the counter. Peel off the parchment it baked in. Orient the meringue so one of the long sides is in front of you. Pipe the warm filling on one of the long sides of the meringue (you can also spoon it on). Using the parchment as a guide, roll up the meringue sheet away from you, compressing it as you go so the filling is compact. Place on a serving platter and cool completely. Refrigerate until serving time. You can remove the confectioner's sugar or cornstarch by gently brushing it away with a pastry brush, or you can dust the roll with more confectioner's sugar if desired.