“I Love You” Chocolate Roll

by Laurel Steffes

This recipe has been a favorite in my family for many years. I can’t even remember now exactly where it came from, but my mother was the one who stumbled across it and all her family has been grateful ever since! It has been a staple in my house every Thanksgiving and Christmas – demanded by my husband and three daughters.

The usual version of this dessert uses plain whipped cream as a filling, but this year the “I Love You” jam that we sell in the store just screamed Valentine’s Day to me and was the inspiration for this version of Chocolate Roll. “I Love You” jam is a decadent and delicious combination of raspberry jam and dark chocolate. The Two Cookin’ Sisters of Brookston, IN deserve kudos for creating this sumptuous treat. Visit their website at bigsistersalsa.com. (We carry many of their wonderful homemade items in addition to the “I Love You” jam.)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbs. coffee
5 eggs, separated
1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pint whipping cream
2 Tbs. I Love You Jam

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a jelly roll pan with shortening, such as Crisco. Line the pan with wax paper and then lightly coat the wax paper with vegetable oil. Set aside.

Slowly melt the chocolate chips and 3 Tbs. coffee over hot water.

Beat egg whites with ½ cup of the sugar until stiff. Beat egg yolks and ¾ cup of the sugar until thick and light yellow.

Fold the melted chocolate into the egg yolks. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Fold in the 1 tsp. vanilla.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for 17 minutes.

While cake is baking, lay a sheet of wax paper that is approximately 6-8 inches longer than the jelly roll pan on the counter. Dust with sifted cocoa. Turn the cake out onto the wax paper. Remove oiled paper from the bottom of the cake and let cool completely.

While the cake cools, whip the pint of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add the “I Love You” jam and whip just until incorporated. Spread the whipped cream mixture over the cake, leaving any excess closest to you along the long edge. Roll the cake up away from you, using the wax paper to help. Transfer wax paper wrapped roll to a cookie sheet or other platter, seam side down. Refrigerate.

Serve cold. Carefully unwrap rolled cake and serve in slices. Garnish each slice with fresh raspberries and drizzle with melted dark chocolate or a little of the “I Love You” jam which has been heated enough to liquefy it – or use both!

Notes:
If raspberries and chocolate aren’t your thing, experiment with adding other flavors to the whipped cream (or even to the cake itself in place of the vanilla.) Try another type of jam or add any flavor extract that appeals to you. What about Grand Marnier, Kirsch, Kahlua, Baileys …? There are any number of ways to change this dessert to suit your taste or the occasion.

Word of caution: Because there is no flour in the cake, it’s more like a mousse and therefore rather delicate. It’s difficult to transfer to a platter and have it look pretty. I unwrap it and slice with a hot serrated knife without trying to move it off of the wax paper. Also it’s a good idea to remember to let the cake cool completely before topping with the whipped cream and rolling it up. Early in my Chocolate Roll days I once dumped the whipped cream on top of the cake almost right after taking it out of the oven. I ended up scraping it into a bowl – it made excellent pudding!