Olivier Briault’s Chocolate Mini Rolls with a Maple Cream Cheese Filling

For the mini rolls

• 35g cocoa powder
• 100g maple sugar
• 25ml maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 25g butter

For the maple cream cheese filling

• 200g cream cheese
• 15g maple sugar
• 20ml maple syrup
• 40g melted butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract

To make the mini rolls

1. Preheat the oven 180°C fan.
2. To make the sponge, sieve the cocoa powder into a small bowl, add the butter, the hot maple syrup then combine. Set aside.
3. Put 40g of maple sugar and the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk together until light, thick and fluffy. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the remaining 60g of maple sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Beat one third of the meringue mixture into the chocolate mixture to loosen. Using a large spoon, fold the remaining egg whites through the mixture until fully combined.
6. Spread the mixture onto a silicone or baking parchment sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, until cooked through and springy.

To make the filling

1. Beat the cream cheese, maple sugar, maple syrup and the vanilla together, then add the melted butter. Mix until the cream is nice and soft.

To assemble the mini rolls

1. Turn out the cooled sponge onto 2 sheets of baking paper. Peel off the top layer of baking paper. Cut the edges to make a perfect rectangle.
2. Spread the filling on the sponge, trim the ends and cut each roll.
3. Place the rolls, seam-sides down on a cooling rack and chill for 15 minutes to firm up.
4. To finish, melt the dark chocolate together in a bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Place the cooling rack over a baking tin (to catch the chocolate) and dip, spread or pour the chocolate over each mini roll to coat. Leave to set.