Lemon Curd Roulade with Berry Coulis

As you hang up the phone, your heart begins to pound.  On this hot summer's day, you've just learned that four friends will be popping by for a visit in the late afternoon.  You tie your apron strings and pat back your hair, wondering aloud, "What in Heaven's name will I serve to these genteel ladies?"  The cupboard is mostly bare and the children are napping.  

Translation:  you're going to have to wing it.

Enter a fancy-sounding dessert with a pleasingly simple preparation:  Lemon Curd Roulade with Berry Coulis.

If you have a store-bought jar of lemon curd on hand, give thanks.  If not, inhale deeply.  You can make it quickly...from scratch.

Do you have a box of frozen puff pastry sheets?  (This is a wonderful thing to keep in the freezer.  It's uses range from sweet to savory and it will keep for a long time.)

How about some fresh or frozen berries?  (Scroll down for the easy-peasy Summer Berry Coulis recipe.)

Yes?  

Alrighty, then! You may as well smile, turn on your favorite music, and pour a glass of iced tea.  Enjoy this creative moment in your kitchen!

Lemon Curd
About 1 cup

3 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To prepare, vigorously whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan.  Then, add the lemon juice and the butter.  Cook, over medium heat, and continuously whisk until the mixture is thickened.  Then, gently simmer for a few seconds.  Using a spatula, scrape the filling into a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl and strain the filling into the bowl (this will remove the zest).  Stir in the vanilla.  

Let cool, cover, and refrigerate to thicken the curd.  It will keep, refrigerated, for about a week. 

Recipe from The New All purpose Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, 1997)

To Prepare Roulade:

To hasten the thawing of the puff pastry, remove it from the box and set it on the counter as you prepare the curd.  In about 30 minutes it should be ready to work with.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Lightly sprinkle a work surface (counter top, cutting board, etc.) with flour.  Unfold the puff pastry, dust with a bit more flour, and then roll with a rolling pin, just to enlarge the surface area of the dough a bit and to smooth out the creases.

Spoon 4 to 5 tablespoons of lemon curd over the pastry dough.  

Spread with a spatula or the back of the spoon.  

Beginning at the end furthest from yourself, roll the dough.  

When you get to the end, a bit of curd may be oozing out.  Remove it with a spoon, if desired. 

Pinch the free edge to "attach" it to the dough nearby.  This will create a seam.

Place the roulade, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  

Summer Berry Coulis*

About 1 cup

1 cup fresh strawberries** (if using frozen berries, thaw under running cold water)

1 cup fresh raspberries**(thaw if frozen)

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Puree the berries in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender.  Add sugar and lemon juice. Taste.  Stir in more lemon juice or sugar if needed.

Serve at once, either at room temperature or chilled, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Recipe from The New All purpose Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, 1997)

*Coulis is just a fancy French word for sauce.  Pronounced "coo-lee".
**Set a few berries aside for garnish, if desired.

To assemble the dessert:

Place the roulade, seam side down, on an oblong serving dish.  Place the coulis in a Zip-lock bag.  Seal the bag and then snip off a tiny corner of the bag with scissors.  Squeeze the coulis out of the bag to drizzle over the roulade.  Garnish with fresh mint leaves and fresh berries, if desired.  Cut roulade in diagonal slices to serve.  Place a pool of coulis on each plate alongside the slice of roulade.

Now give yourself a giant pat on the back, you little dessert diva, you.


PRINTABLE RECIPES:
Here's the printable recipe for the Lemon Curd.
Here it is for the Berry Coulis.
(I'm having technical difficulties with the printables, so check back later for corrected versions...)

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