A biscuit roulé (literally meaning rolled biscuit) is very similar to a swiss roll and particularly popular at this time of year as a base for a christmas log cake, called a bûche de Noel in french.

The actual base for the cake is called a ‘genoise’ which is a sponge cake that uses whole eggs and is a basic building block of much French patisserie and is used for making several different types of cake.

Ingredients :

• 4 eggs
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
• 125g self-raising flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• Jam or nutella

Method :

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
2. Beat the eggs, sugar (caster sugar and vanilla sugar) and the salt well with an electric mixer until pale, light and fluffy
3. Fold in the flour gently
4. Pour the mixture onto an oven tray that you have lined with greaseproof paper
5. Bake for 12 minutes
6. Prepare a clean, damp tea-towel and place it on top of the oven tray and flip it over so that your cake is on the damp tea-towel
7. Roll the cake with the tea-towel and leave to cool
8. When the cake is cold gently unroll and spread with jam or nutella, re-roll it and sprinkle with a bit of icing sugar et voilà!

*Make sure to roll the cake when it is just out of the oven and still pliable

*You can make a chocolate base by substituting 25g of cocoa for 25g of flour

Most of my baking is destined for the after school snack to which I always refer to in french – the (ou le!) “goûter“.

So what is the goûter exactly?  It is a light snack around 4pm which all french children (and  a lot of french adults) indulge in. It will nearly always include something sweet – cake, bread and chocolat, brioche etc and a fruit and sometimes a yoghurt or some cheese. Some hot chocolate (especially when it is chilly out) or a glass of water or milk.

Breakfast is around 7-8am, lunch at 12pm and dinner at 8pm so it makes sense to have something light to eat half-way between your lunch and evening meal!

It is a lovely tradition that means that as soon as the kids get in the door from school we are all around the table having something to eat and chatting about our day so far and about whats to come – homework, judo, music lessons, football etc.

Some of my “goûter” recipes :

French Yoghurt Cake

Apple Loaf

Fondant au Chocolat (although this is really more of a dessert or for a special goûter! 😉 )

Banana Loaf

Apple, Walnut and Raisin Loaf