Merengue roll with strawberries

Prepare the protein mass for the meringue: pour the proteins into the bowl and beat until foam with large bubbles forms. It is worth noting here that the eggs should be well cooled before separating the proteins - this will speed up the whipping process. It is also recommended to use a mixer, since it is quite laborious to beat the whites by hand to the desired dense consistency. After the formation of bubbles during whipping, add salt and lemon juice in turn - the foam will begin to thicken and thicken. We continue to beat at high speed for 2-3 minutes and add powdered sugar and starch in portions. Beat for another 2-3 minutes - the mass should thicken significantly and maintain dense, stable peaks on the whisk, as in the photo.

Let's start baking the meringue. Cover the baking sheet with oiled parchment. Put the whipped proteins on a prepared baking sheet and distribute them with a spatula along the entire perimeter in an even layer. Sprinkle the mixture evenly with almond powder on top. Almond powder is easy to make at home. A handful of almonds need to be scalded with boiling water, peel off. Dry the peeled nuts in a skillet with constant stirring, or use the oven, then cool the almonds and grind them into small crumbs with a blender.

We put the baking sheet with meringue in an oven preheated to 180 degrees at a medium level. We bake for 20 minutes. The times are approximate, as much depends on the specific oven. During the baking process, it is necessary to ensure that the meringue slightly grows in volume and slightly browns, while the main color changes from white to cream. At the end of baking, pierce the cake with a toothpick or a match - it should come out dry, without adhering mass.

Cool the finished meringue for 2-3 minutes, then cover the baking sheet with the meringue with a towel and turn it upside down. Peel off the parchment from the meringue, starting from the corner, and finally cool the cake.

For the cream, beat the cold cream at medium speed with a mixer. In the process, add powdered sugar in a spoon. We stop whipping as soon as the mass becomes dense and retains its shape on the whisk. It is very important to stop in time, as there is a risk of oil exfoliation - the structure of the cream will be disturbed.
We immediately spread the cream on a cold cake and distribute it around the perimeter, leaving 2 centimeters free on one edge. It is very important to completely cool the crust, otherwise the cream will become liquid when spread over a warm surface. On the cream, carefully place the strawberries, chopped at random.

We form a roll: we twist in the direction of the edge left without cream, helping ourselves by lifting a towel.

After forming, place the roll in the refrigerator and cool completely.

For cutting, we use a sharp knife so as not to press on the delicate roll and make a beautiful cut. We transfer a piece to a portioned plate and enjoy.