Roulade Redux

Everyone loves old-fashioned ice cream cake rolls. Unfortunately, the ice-cream filling is often very fattening, and the cake base is usually the classic spongecake, which is made with whole eggs and therefore contains cholesterol.

This version is every bit as festive as the original, even though the cake is angel food (made without egg yolks) and the filling is a light coffee “cream.” We made the filling as sumptuous as its high-calorie counterpart, but we replaced heavy cream with nonfat milk and low-fat whipped topping. And then we added a little crunch by making pralines out of cashews (one of the lower-fat nuts), crushing them and sprinkling the candy crumbs over the filling.

COFFEE ICE CREAM ROULADE WITH CASHEW CRUNCH

2 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup egg whites (from 7 or 8 large eggs), slightly below room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Coffee Cream Filling

Cashew Praline

1/3 cup low-fat whipped topping, optional

Raspberries

Spray 15x10-inch jellyroll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line with sheet of foil or parchment paper and brush lightly with butter. Sprinkle lightly with flour.

Sprinkle powdered sugar lightly onto sheet of foil the size of pan. Set aside.

Sift 3/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and salt and set aside.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar on low speed 1 1/2 minutes or until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high. Beat until white and foamy. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until soft (not stiff), smooth peaks form.

Beat in vanilla. Sprinkle with 1/3 of flour mixture and fold in with rubber spatula. Add remaining flour mixture in 2 batches, folding just until incorporated. Turn batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center.

Loosen cake from pan using sharp thin knife along sides of pan. Invert cake onto sugared foil and roll up while warm. Cool completely before unrolling and filling.

Unroll cake and fill with Coffee Cream Filling. Sprinkle with half of Cashew Praline. Roll up. Place on flat tray and freeze several hours. If desired, using pastry tube fitted with star tip, pipe few rows of whipped topping on top of roll. Garnish with raspberries. Cut into 12 slices and serve on plates dusted with remaining ground Cashew Praline. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

229 calories; 187 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.04 gram fiber.

Note: In place of whipped topping, a small amount of Coffee Cream Filling may be reserved and used for piping top of ice cream roulade.

Coffee Cream Filling

1 3/4 cups nonfat milk

1/4 cup sugar

Dash salt, optional

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup thawed nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 1 egg)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or hazelnut liqueur

1/2 (12-ounce) container low-fat whipped topping

Heat 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk, sugar and salt over low heat. Stir in coffee powder to dissolve. Whisk remaining nonfat milk with cornstarch and egg substitute until smooth.

Add to saucepan and heat until thickened, about 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Stir in vanilla. Chill until thickened, about 2 to 4 hours. Fold in whipped topping.

Cashew Praline

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon butter

3 tablespoons chopped toasted cashews

Heat sugar in 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat until bottom starts to melt. Stir and continue to heat until golden amber color. Remove from heat and stir in butter, then nuts. Pour into baking sheet. Cool. Chop or coarsely grind in food processor.

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