Jelly Roll

A jelly roll is a classic teatime treat, which is quite light and can be dressed up some different ways. My grandma has been making jelly rolls for years, and she always makes them the same - a white spongy roll with a layer of berry jam in the middle. When I was growing up, she used to make them with strawberry jam; now she sometimes makes them with raspberry jam for a change as well. Some people make these rolls with chocolate filling or a creamy filling, and you could even add a little cocoa to the sponge to make a chocolate roll, and then put a cream filling in the middle. The options are endless. I think technically these are sometimes called "Swiss rolls," but we have always just called them jelly rolls, as my grandma always made them with jam.

To be honest, I find these are extremely difficult to make, as you have to be very quick once the sponge comes out of the oven - taking the waxed paper off, spreading it with jelly and rolling it up. the jelly roll could easily tear as you take the paper off, or it can crack when you roll it up. The jelly roll above was rolled by my grandma, and the one below was attempted by me. You can see that the results are not the same. I guess I will have to practice a few more times before I serve one I made for company!

Jelly Roll:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 c flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
  For the filling
• Up to 1 cup jam or jelly of your preference (put the jam in a bowl and stir it up to loosen it before you spread it over the sponge)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a rectangular baking sheet with wax paper (ensure the paper reaches right to the edges
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until fluffy
4. Gradually beat in the sugar
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt
6. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just incorporated
7. Pour the batter into the baking sheet, and spread evenly until it reaches the edges
8. Bake the sponge at 350 degrees F for 11-12 minutes, until just baked and very lightly browned. (Do not overbake!)
9. As the sponge is baking, lay out a tea towel on a clean countertop and sprinkle with sugar
10. Measure about 1 cup jam into a bowl and mix it up so it will be easy to spread 
11. Take the sponge from the oven and immediately flip it out onto the sugared tea towel
12. Carefully remove the wax paper using a sharp knife to pry it off the sponge as necessary
13. Spread a thin layer of jam or jelly over the sponge, all the way to the edges
14. Using the tea towel, carefully roll up the sponge, starting from one narrow end all the way to the other narrow end (the jelly roll should end up "short" rather than "long" in order to get a good swirl) 
15. Place the jelly roll on a long piece of saran wrap so it is easy to move later. If you are bringing it somewhere, it fits perfectly in the top of an egg carton if the carton top is flat
16. Once the jelly roll is cool, trim each end and then carefully cut it into thick slices
17. Serve with coffee or tea