Chocolate Roll

First, Cass thanks you all for your kind wishes for her tooth recovery. She ate fish with rice last night, so that's real progress!

I had a screaming headache all day yesterday, so I spent most of the day with a cold compress covering my forehead and eyes, sitting in the dark next to my business phone (so I could answer when it rang). I only wish the ibuprofin I was munching tasted like the cinnamon candies they look like.

Given that headache, I was glad that Monday night's dessert was large enough to last until Tuesday. It was beautiful, and for those of you out there who do the whole "gluten free" thing, this fills that bill. Of course, if you're looking for diet food, you'll want to leave this alone.

CHOCOLATE ROLL
Adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook

5 eggs, separated
1-1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the egg whites until foamy; add the salt and beat until stiff and set aside. Beat the egg yolks until light colored and thickened. Stir together the cocoa powder, baking powder and confectioner's sugar, and gradually add to the egg yolks. Note that the mixture will become stiff. Gradually stir in the egg whites. (Confessions of a lazy baker: I beat the egg whites in at low speed with my mixer, until just barely combined. It worked fine.) Grease a 10"x15" jelly roll pan, line with waxed paper, and grease the paper. Spread the batter in the pan, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake stand for one minute after it comes out of the oven, then invert onto a clean dish towel. Carefully peel the waxed paper off the cake. Roll the towel with the cake in it gently along the long edge, so you have a 15" long roll, and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Unroll, and let it cool another 5 minutes, then reroll the cake in the towel, and let it sit until cool (less than an hour). Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla extract. Unroll the cake again, spread the whipped cream over the top of it, and roll it up one more time, using the towel to help you. Carefully roll it onto a serving plate. You'll notice that my plate was too small, so I cut mine in half. Refrigerate until ready to serve, dust the top with confectioner's sugar, and cut into slices.

Since Kellie already left for college (her classes start Monday, but she wanted to beat the Wednesday and Thursday move in rush), and Jeff delivered her there, there was actually enough of this to last for 2 nights. Otherwise, this was so popular that people would have been clamoring for more where there was none to be had. You know I'll have to make this again!