Coffee log with flambéed meringue

To make the coffee log with flambéed meringue, start by preparing the coffee with the moka pot: put cold water, preferably low in lime, inside the boiler up to the safety valve 1 (otherwise you will get a longer coffee). Fill the filter with ground coffee 2 and level it with each teaspoon of added coffee by tapping the filter on the table with decisive movements 3, until it reaches the edge of the filter.

Do not press down with a teaspoon or make holes, and tighten the moka pot well 4 (to prevent coffee from leaking from the sides while it rises), then place it on a low, steady flame to get a full-bodied coffee. As the coffee rises, a dense foam will form 5; we recommend not letting the coffee bubble for too long, to keep its aroma and sweetness intact. Then turn off the heat and your coffee to be used in the preparation is ready: mix it directly in the moka pot with a teaspoon to make it more homogeneous 6.

Now prepare the sponge cake: in a mixer with a whisk, place the egg yolks, 90 g of granulated sugar 7, and the honey 8, start the machine until you get a light mixture. Separately, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar 9

until you get a light and foamy mixture (if you don't have a mixer, use an electric whisk). Combine the whipped egg whites with the mixture 10. Then add the all-purpose flour 11 and hazelnut flour 12

Incorporate the ingredients with a spatula 13. Spread the dough on a sheet of parchment paper placed on a baking tray measuring 18 x 14.5 inches, and level it with a flat, smooth spatula to a thickness of 0.4 inches (14-15). Bake in a preheated static oven at 430°F for 6-7 minutes (no more); the surface of the cake should become just golden, and you should never open the oven to retain the moisture inside.

Remove the sponge cake from the oven 16, immediately remove it from the tray, placing it with all the parchment paper on a flat surface. Sprinkle the surface of the sponge cake with granulated sugar 17, so it doesn't stick, and immediately seal it with plastic wrap, folding it under the sides as well 18. This way, as the sponge cake cools, it will retain all the moisture that will make it elastic and help it to bend without cracking.

Now take care of the cream. Take a bowl, fill it with cold water and soak the gelatin 19. Then take a pot and pour in the milk, the coffee from the moka 20, the egg yolks 21 and

the sugar 22 and bring to a simmer. Add the squeezed gelatin 23, the cubed butter 24

and let the mixture dissolve until it boils for 2 minutes 25. Turn off the heat and pour the cream into a wide, low container. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool and thicken for about 3-4 hours 26. When the cream is cold and firm, put it in the mixer 27.

to make it creamy and smooth 28. Whip the heavy cream with 20 g of powdered sugar 29 following the guide: How to Whip Cream and add it to the coffee cream 30.

When the sponge cake is cold, remove the plastic wrap and fill it with the coffee cream, spreading it over the entire surface with a spoon or a long smooth-bladed knife, leaving a margin of about 0.8 inches to prevent it from overflowing when you roll it up 31. At this point, once the filling is done, gently roll up the cake 32 and wrap it with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator to firm up 33.

Finally, prepare the Italian meringue. Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan, heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves, when the syrup starts to boil, insert the thermometer until it reaches 248°F 34. Meanwhile, whip the egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice and when the syrup reaches the indicated temperature, pour it slowly into the egg whites while continuing to whisk 35. When the meringue is dense and smooth 36

transfer it into a piping bag with a star nozzle and garnish the surface of the log with meringue swirls (37-38). Bake the log in the oven for 5 minutes under a hot grill to brown the meringue. Your coffee log with flambéed meringue is ready to be enjoyed 39!