French Yule Log

Wow! December was a crazy busy month and January is starting the same so I am rushing to try and get this posted before its too late! gah!! So here it is… I present to you the Daring Bakers December Challenge…

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

We were required to make the following six elements:
1)  Dacquoise Biscuit
2)  Mousse
3)  Ganache Insert
4)  Praline (Crisp) Insert
5)  Creme Brulee Insert
6)  Icing
but were free to choose any flavours we wanted. I have posted the instructions for the variations I used .

French Yule Log

1. Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper

3/4 cup + 1Tbsp almond meal
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 medium egg whites    
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
   
1.    Finely mix the almond meal and the confectioner’s sugar.
2.    Sift the flour into the mix.
3.    Beat the eggs whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.
4.    Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.
5.    Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it.
6.    Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip etc…) and to a height of 1/3 inches (8mm).
7.    Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven), until golden.
8.    Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

 

2. Dark Chocolate Mousse

Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula

2.5 sheets gelatin or 1 + 1/4 tsp powdered gelatin                     
3 Tbsp granulated sugar       
1 ½ tsp glucose or thick corn syrup       
0.5 oz water    
3 medium egg yolks
6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups heavy cream (35% fat content)
               
1.    Soften the gelatin in cold water. (If using powdered gelatin, follow the directions on the package.)
2.    Make a Pate a Bombe: Beat the egg yolks until very light in colour (approximately 5 minutes until almost white). 
2a.  Cook the sugar, glucose syrup and water on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 244°F (118°C). If you do not have a candy thermometer, test the sugar temperature by dipping the tip of a knife into the syrup then into a bowl of ice water, if it forms a soft ball in the water then you have reached the correct temperature.
2b.  Add the sugar syrup to the beaten yolks carefully by pouring it into the mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat the yolks. You can do this by hand but it’s easier to do this with an electric mixer.
2c.  Continue beating until cool (approximately 5 minutes). The batter should become thick and foamy.
3.    In a double boiler or equivalent, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
4.    Whip the remainder of the cream until stiff.
5.    Pour the melted chocolate over the softened gelatin, mixing well. Let the gelatin and chocolate cool slightly and then stir in ½ cup (100g) of Whipped cream to temper. Add the Pate a Bombe.
6.    Add in the rest of the Whipped cream (220g) mixing gently with a spatula.

 

3. Cinnamon-Milk Ganache Insert

Equipment: pan, whisk

4 Tbsp granulated sugar       
2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp heavy cream           
A pinch of cinnamon                   
2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3Tbsp + 1/2tsp unsalted butter softened

1.    Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber colour.
2.    Heat the cream with the cinnamon (use the quantity of cinnamon you want to infuse the cream, a pinch is the smallest amount suggested… I used a fair amount) until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.
3.    Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the milk and dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4.    Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast. The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

 

4. Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes). Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin

To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes as needed in the recipe for the praline feuillete insert below (lace crepes – recipe by Ferich Mounia):
1/3 cup  whole milk            
2/3 Tbsp unsalted butter               
1/3 cup – 2tsp all-purpose flour       
1 Tbsp beaten egg
1 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp vegetable oil

1.    Heat the milk and butter together until butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
2.    Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps.
3.    Grease a baking sheet and spread batter thinly over it.
4.    Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.

3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate       
1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter       
2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline (I used nutella instead)
2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K if you do not want to make your own lace crepes. 

1.    Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2.    Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.
3.    Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

 

5. Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper

1/2 cup heavy cream (35% fat content)       
½ cup whole milk           
4 medium-sized egg yolks
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

1.    Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour.
2.    Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white).
3.    Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.
4.    Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. (Use a water bath when cooking the creme brule)
5.    Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.

 

6. Dark Chocolate Icing

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

½ Tbsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets gelatin                
¼ cup heavy cream (35 % fat content) 
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1.    Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.
2.    Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling.
3.    Add gelatin to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4.    Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

 

Assembling The Log

1. Line your pan or mold with plastic wrap.
2. Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.
3. Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
4. Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
5. Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
6. Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
7. Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.
8. Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
9. Close with the Dacquoise.
10. The Next Day… Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.
    Cover the cake with the icing.
    Let set. Return to the freezer.
    You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc…
    Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

 

Results: I loved loved loved this yule log!!! The recipe looks very intimidating but its really not that hard if you are well organized. I brought mine to my parents house for dessert one evening and everyone loved it. I will definitely be making this one again!! The only thing I would do differently is to break the praline insert into small pieces and sprinkle it on top of the mousse as it was fairly difficult to cut through this layer and keep the rest of the cake from tumbling.

~ by mixbyhand on January 6, 2009.