Mimosa roll, an easy homemade dessert to honor all women. March 8 is International Women’s Rights Day, an important day not only of remembrance but of the struggle against every form of discrimination, inequality and violence; finally, a day of celebration for the achievements obtained in the long and slow process of female emancipation, with the hope that it will bring every woman to full gender equality. To spend a day in the family, with all the women in the house and of course the dear men as well, I decided to prepare a delicious mimosa log — simple to make, striking in appearance and very tasty, with a lovely aroma of Strega liqueur and vanilla bean.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, International Women's Day
Ingredients for Mimosa Roll with Strega
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (about 120 g)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (farina 00) (about 80 g)
- 2 1/2 tbsp potato starch (about 20 g)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- to taste vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp milk (about 250 ml)
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (about 35 g)
- 1/4 vanilla bean
- 2 3/4 tbsp wheat starch (frumina) (about 22 g)
- 1 1/4 cups pastry cream (about 300 g)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream for whipping (about 150 g)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp water (about 100 g / ml)
- 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (about 10 g)
- 1 1/3 fl oz (about 40 ml) Strega liqueur
Tools to prepare the Mimosa Roll
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Knife
- 1 Sieve
Steps to prepare the Mimosa Roll
In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar with the electric whisks at the highest speed for at least 5 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and frothy. Add the vanilla extract and honey and mix briefly again.
Gradually add the flour and potato starch, folding gently from the bottom up to avoid deflating the mixture. Pour into a baking sheet ~12 x 16 in (or slightly smaller, not larger) lined with parchment paper, and spread the batter evenly across the surface.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes on the middle rack. Remove from the oven, roll up the sponge with the parchment paper and wrap it in a kitchen towel; let it cool quickly on a cool surface.
Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean split lengthwise. Mix the seeds with the sugar; put the empty pod with the milk in a small saucepan or bowl and warm it on the stove or in the microwave.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the egg yolk and sugar, stir, add a little of the warm milk, then the frumina (wheat starch) and the remaining strained milk a little at a time to obtain a smooth cream without lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.
Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let cool. When cold, whisk it briefly with the beaters. Whip the cold cream (straight from the fridge) in a clean bowl with clean beaters and fold it into the pastry cream to obtain the diplomat/Italian chantilly cream.
Place all the soak ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil for a couple of minutes to evaporate the alcohol, then let cool.
Take the sponge sheet once it has cooled, unroll it and brush it evenly with the Strega soak. Trim the ends — about 2 1/2–2 3/4 in (6–7 cm) per side — from the longer side. Cut the trimmed parts into strips and then into small cubes; these are the mimosa ‘flowers’ used to decorate the roll. Set them aside.
Spread 2/3 of the cream over the remaining sponge sheet surface, leaving about 2 cm (about 3/4 in) at the closing edge free, then roll up. Seal the roll well with a little cream. If the roll is stable enough, you can transfer it immediately to a serving platter and finish decorating; otherwise refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Place the roll on a platter and cover it with the remaining cream using a spoon or a piping bag. Cover the roll with the small sponge cubes prepared earlier to mimic mimosa flowers. Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Store the dessert in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or you can freeze it.
