Chocolate Christmas Log Recipe: A festive delight

Dive into the magic of the holidays with the exceptional recipe for the Yule log, taken from the new book 'L'École du Chocolat'. A refined dessert blending tradition and creativity, perfect for delighting your guests and elevating your Christmas table.

Serves 10-12

Equipment
2 acetate guitar sheets
1 cooking thermometer
2 pastry bags
1 basket weave pastry tip
1 plain pastry tip 10 mm Ø

Ingredients

Decoration

50 g dark couverture chocolate 70%
unsweetened cocoa powder

Joconde 'biscuit' sponge

2 eggs (100 g)
70 g ground hazelnuts
60 g unrefined raw sugar
20 g flour
½ vanilla pod (bean), scraped
1 tbsp butter (optional)
- - - - -
2 egg whites (60 g)
25 g sugar

Chocolate ganache

200 g dark couverture chocolate 70%
250 ml whipping cream
75 g butter, softened
50 ml rum

Rum syrup

120 ml water
100 g sugar
1 tsp coffee extract
40 ml rum

Coffee buttercream

1 egg (50 g)
2 egg yolks (40 g)
160 g sugar
80 ml water
250 g butter, softened
coffee extract, to taste

Recipe adapted from the book “École du chocolat” by Le Cordon Bleu® institute and publisher Larousse.

Method

1.Decoration

Temper the dark chocolate. Coarsely chop the chocolate, heat two thirds over a bain-marie until the temperature reaches 45-50°C. Remove from the bain-marie and add remaining chopped chocolate. Mix until the added chocolate melts and cools the entire batch to between 30 and 32°C. Test to see if the chocolate is well tempered and ready to use, then spread it onto an acetate guitar sheet and cover it with the second sheet for the decoration. Create a gentle wavy shape by curving over a surface (e.g. a small book or magazine). Leave to harden for at least 30 minutes at room temperature..

2.Joconde ‘biscuit’ sponge

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Whisk together the eggs, ground hazelnuts, unrefined raw sugar, flour and scraped vanilla seeds. Add the melted cooled butter (optional). Whisk the egg whites until they are firm and cling to the tip of the whisk. Add half of the sugar, whisk in, then add the remaining sugar and whisk until stiff. With a spatula, gently fold the meringued egg whites into the previous mixture. Tip the Joconde ‘biscuit’ batter onto a baking tray covered with baking parchment. Spread uniformly with a silicone spatula to 5 mm thick. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave to cool, then turn the ‘biscuit’ sponge over onto a clean sheet of baking parchment and gently peel off the baking parchment.

3.Chocolate ganache

Coarsely chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until simmering then pour over the chocolate; stir until smooth. Add the butter and rum. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour, then fill a pastry bag fitted with the basket weave tip.

4.Rum syrup

Bring the water and sugar to the boil. Cool, then add the coffee extract and rum.

5.Coffee buttercream

Beat the egg and egg yolks until pale and thick. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook until the temperature reaches 120°C on the cooking thermometer. With the mixer running, gradually pour the syrup in a thin steady stream over the eggs; continue beating until cool. Gently add the butter and then the coffee extract. Fill a pastry bag fitted with the plain tip.

6.Assembly

Imbibe the ‘biscuit’ sponge with the rum syrup. Pipe the coffee buttercream onto the ‘biscuit’ sponge and smooth with a spatula. Using the baking parchment as a guide, roll the ‘biscuit’ sponge, progressively removing the baking parchment as the ‘biscuit’ sponge is rolled. Place the seam on the underside of the log cake. Pipe a thin layer of ganache over the entire surface ofthe log cake and refrigerate 1 hour. Before serving, break the tempered chocolate into large pieces, place all around the log cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.