Crochet and Mocha roulade

1st May     

One of the first bakes I ever made that I was proud of was a mocha roulade and it became my go to bake at the drop of a hat.  In fact I made it so often, it was a wonder I made anything else. I had totally forgotten about it until last week when my youngest was due to make a Swiss roll at school but because they had a cover teacher he came home without having made it.  We began talking as you do about school the pros and cons of it all and I mentioned how I learnt to make my favourite bake, this elusive mocha roulade.  Why elusive, well I do not think I have made it for at least eight years, defiantly my youngest could not remember.  That settled it, it was to become this weeks crochet bake and a good thick slice given to Jack before the ladies arrived.  He approved and I think I maybe making this again very soon, I shall not wait another eight years...


This weeks baking ~ Mocha roulade

You will need:

Slightly risen and springy

for the sponge

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 125g (4½oz) caster sugar
• 50g (2oz) cocoa powder,
• 2 tbsp. coffee granules plus 1 tbsp. of boiling water

for the filling

• 250ml (9fl oz) double cream
• a good size handful of green grapes, halved
• 2tsp caster sugar

you will also need

• 30x20cm (12x8in) Swiss roll tin, lined with baking parchment



Rolled up roulade and cooling

• baking parchment larger in length than the Swiss roll tin

♥  Pre heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius
♥  Line the Swiss roll tin with baking parchment
♥  Whisk the egg whites until stiff
♥  In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. 
♥  Into the yolk mix, sieve the cocoa powder and gentle fold in.
♥  Add the boiling water to the coffee and make it into a smooth paste.  Gentle add this to the yolk mix.
♥  Add the egg whites to the yolk mixture a spoon at a time, making sure to fold it in well but to not loose all the air.
♥  Pour into the prepared tin and bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes.  The sponge should have risen and be springy.
♥  Place the parchment paper on the work surface and sprinkle with caster sugar.
♥  Straight from the oven turn the sponge onto the sugared paper.  Gently remove the parchment paper that was on the sponge in the oven.


Make sure the cream and grapes make it to all edges

♥  Using the new baking parchment, carefully roll up the sponge into a Swiss roll whilst warm and allow it to stay like this until cooled.
♥  Meanwhile, whip the cream until it just holds its shape, do not over whip, nor actually have it too runny as it will run out of the roll!!!  Halve the grapes.
♥  Gently unroll the sponge, it will be almost flat but slightly curved.  Spread with the cream and sprinkle on the grapes.
♥  The interesting part!  Using the parchment paper that the sponge is on, re roll the sponge, but do not let the parchment paper become rolled up with it, use it to roll the sponge, but peel it away as you roll.  The sponge may sometime crack a little, but I do not think this matters.
♥  Optional decoration.  Many years ago I used to pipe a line along the centre of the roll and then place more of the halved grapes.  Today, I did not bother...
♥  Eat and enjoy.

The parchment was used to re roll the roulade

Mocha roulade

A book recommendation ~ Crocheted flowers

The focus for the last crochet session in this run of course was to be flowers.  It's funny really I began teaching these ladies different stitches whilst making a blanket, their first project ever and now each week we focus on a smaller project, with many of the ladies making a second blanket alongside.  I just love my Thursdays and hope some or all of them will sign up for the next set.

A great go to book for flowers and I am sure many have this on their book shelves is the title 100 flowers to knit & crochet.  If you haven't seen it, do.  I decided it best to teach them a basic flower but that they would be able to complete two in an evening.  Not liking the simple life, I felt they could cope with two different patterns...

A great go to book for knitted & crocheted flowers

The two flowers that were taught

Something to be proud of ~ Pupil's work 
It's time to boast.  Last night was the last of my second ever crochet course and I feel the ladies have come a long way and I am so very proud of them.  Here's a very small selection of some of their work...

A first ever crochet priject

After making blankets, dog brooches and Easter rabbits,
we felt it time to learn the granny square

Scottie dog brooch, see   here  for instructions

Ripple stitch cushion

Learning to edge

Easter bunnies were addicitive

Lots of stitches were learnt

A question ~  to block or not? 

I never really know if I should block my work, so I tend to give it a try and see.  It's true 9 out of 10 times, I prefer it blocked, but not always.  As to flowers, I quite like the curling effect, it gives it a wind swept feel, but then the detail does look better blocked.  To block or not?  what do you do?

Blocking a crochet flower

Top flower blocked, bottom flower not!

 

A necessity ~ Scrap yarn busting 

 

Yep sometimes it's just got to be done.  I have far too much yarn, is that possibly, I hear you say.  Yep, it is.  Ideally I would like more, but I'm having trouble storing it all and to be honest, I am coming round to the thinking that if I want to make something I really should buy specifically for that project.  I am a conundrum as I do often like spur of the minute projects and I would be do frustrated if I didn't have any yarn from which to choose when the urge hits me in the middle of the night.  So I have no real answer as to what to do, but I do know that every now and then I need to bust some of my stash.  And that is what I have been doing this week with the crocheted flowers and the granny vase I made yesterday, see here

It's been another week of illness in this household but we are beginning to come through the fog, thank crunchy for that.  Hoping May is full of good health, fingers crossed...

Joining in with  Amy  for her Five on Friday, pop along and see what others are up to. 

♥  Have a wonderful long weekend if you are in the UK ♥