Wattleseed meringue roulade with cha yen crèmeux and bitter caramel

For white chocolate caramel, place sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring with a spatula, until caramelised and reaches 200°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat. Whisk in cream, butter and glucose. Return to medium heat and whisk until temperature reaches 112°C. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until emulsified. Spoon into a piping bag and set aside at room temperature until required.

For cha yen crèmeux, place cream and sugar in a saucepan and gently heat to 75°C. Add tea bags, remove from the heat and stand to steep (40 minutes). Strain infused cream through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing down to extract maximum liquid and flavour. Bring to a simmer. Whisk yolks, cornflour and lemon juice in a bowl, then gradually and carefully whisk in hot cream mixture until combined. Return to saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking continuously, until thickened and bubbling (3 minutes). Remove pan from heat and cool to 70°C. Add butter, a little at time, whisking well between additions. Transfer to a large bowl, cover directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill (1 hour).

For soft meringue, preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced. Whisk egg whites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until sugar has dissolved and meringue is smooth and glossy. Add wattle seed, lemon juice and cornflour; whisk until combined (30 seconds), then spread evenly over a 32cm x 24cm baking tray lined with baking paper. Scatter with almonds to cover and bake for 8 minutes. Reduce oven to 140°C fan-forced and bake until almonds are golden and meringue is springy when gently pressed. Remove from oven, cool slightly, then invert onto a large piece of baking paper and set aside to cool.

To assemble, transfer crèmeux and thickened cream to an electric mixer and whisk to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with 1cm round nozzle. Pipe a thin layer of caramel across meringue and spread to an even layer, leaving a 1cm border. Pipe an even 1cm-thick layer of whipped crèmeux over caramel, then using the baking paper, roll up from longest side facing you to form a log. Remove baking paper, dust with icing sugar and cut into slices (see note) to serve.