Chocolate - Mint Cake Roll Recipe

My Christmas gift from the kids has been getting quite a workout -- to my son's delight.

Trouble is, if I keep up all this baking, I'm gonna turn into the Pillsbury Doughboy's twin. On him, it's cute. On me, I don't think so!!

I love to serve cake rolls, and this is my latest creation. It is very light and refreshing which makes serving it after a heavy meal work just as well as serving it alone with a cup of coffee.

I find that this is served best frozen. As well as the mint filling which is my creation, I will also include the recipe for a coffee cream filling. I haven't made the coffee filling yet, but it might sound good to the coffee-lovers out there.

CHOCOLATE ROLL

1/2 cup sifted cake flour

3 Tbsp. cocoa

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. skim milk

4 egg whites

1/8 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

Coat a 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray and line with waxed paper. Coat waxed paper with cooking spray and set aside.

Sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder; set aside.

Beat egg yolks with electric mixer (high speed) until thick. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of sugar (1 Tbsp. at a time). Add 2 Tbsp. skim milk. beating well. Fold in flour mixture.

Beat (room temperature) egg whites and salt -- until foamy; gradually add 3 Tbsp. of sugar (1 Tbsp. at a time), beating until peaks are stiff, but not dry. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes.

Immediately loosen cake from sides of pan and turn out onto a linen or cotton tea towel sprinkled with sugar. Peel off wax paper. Starting at short side, roll up cake and towel together. Place seam side down on a wire rack and cool completely.

Unroll cake and remove towel. Spread with choice of filling below and re-roll. Freeze at least 24 hours before serving. To serve, take from freezer and immediately cut into 12 slice and serve while frozen.

MINT CREAM FILLING

1 (1.25 oz.) envelope whipped topping mix

1/2 cup skim milk

1 Tbsp. confectioner's sugar

1/4 tsp. mint extract

1 drop of green food coloring

Combine all ingredients in deep narrow bottom bowl. Whip at high speed with an electric mixer about 4 minutes or until topping is light and fluffy.

COFFEE CREAM FILLING

1 (1.25 oz.) envelope whipped topping mix

1/2 cup skim milk

3/4 tsp. instant coffee powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or almond extract (I think I might try this with hazelnut)

1 Tbsp. confectioner's sugar

Combine all ingredients in deep narrow bottom bowl. Whip at high speed with an electric mixer about 4 minutes or until topping is light and fluffy.

Mmmm . . . Mmmm Good!