Rolling Meringue Roulade

A meringue roulade cracks when the meringue is over-baked and too brittle to flex, or when cold filling contracts the warm sponge on contact. Bake until the surface is set and just barely tacky - not dry - then turn out while still warm onto a generously icing-sugar-dusted sheet of baking parchment. Bring your filling to cool room temperature (not fridge-cold) before spreading. Roll from the nearest long edge in one confident, continuous motion using the parchment as a guide: hesitation and pausing mid-roll create the stress points that cause the spiral to fracture on the cut face.