A Buche De Noel – French Yule Log Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
3 eggyolks
1 orange (medium); grated zest and juice
3 & 3/4 c of granulated sugar plus 3 Tbsps
1/2 c of flour (cake)
Icing sugar; sifted
6 eggwhites
1/4 tsp of extract (almond)
3/4 c blanched almonds; ground
A pinch of salt
1/4 tsp of cream-of-tartar
12 ounces of semi-sweet baker’s choco; melted w/ 13 c of strong-flavored coffee
1 Tbsp of extract (vanilla)
8 Tbsps of unsalted butter; softened
3 Tbsps of dark rum (Jamaican)
3 Tbsps of cocoa (unsweetened); strained
3 Tbsps of white-corn syrup
Instructions:
Suggested Equipment: One jellyroll pan (11×17-inch). Grease waxpaper then dust pan lightly w/ flour. Also prepare a blender, table-model mixer, pastry-bag w/ 3/8 inch tube of opening then extra 1/8 inch opening. Greased & slightly floured stick-free frying pan will also be used. Also prepare serving-board, greased broom-handle suspended in between two chairs w/ newspapers lined on floor.
Orange or Almond Sponge-Sheet: Prepare oven and heat it to three-hundred seventy-five degrees F. Line jelly-roll bake pan w/ greased waxpaper, leave 2 -inches hanging at every end. You carefully roll sifted flour over pan then shake off excess.
For your Batter: With your wire-whisk, beat 3 eggyolks in three-quarts bowl. Sprinkle gradually w/ 1/2 c sugar. Once your mixture turns pale-yellow & thick, you add orange zest & juice, almonds & extract. Sift flour, adding slowly while you’re blending mixture w/ a whisk.
Separately beat eggwhites ’til soft-peaked. You sprinkle w/ 3 Tbsps sugar then beat more ’til it forms shining, stiff peaks. Add in 1/4 of eggwhites into batter then fold rest of ingredients slowly.
Baking your Roll: Turn batter immediately into greased pan. Lightly bang into surface in order to have mixture settled. Bake in middle oven layer at 375-degrees F for 10 mins ’til lightly-colored & top springs back when tapped in the center.
Cooling & Storing: You sprinkle cake w/ 1/6-inch layer icing sugar. You cover it w/ waxpaper sheets & bit wet towel. Transfer into bake sheet or tray. While cake’s still hot, hold one end of waxpaper then lift jelly-roll bake pan off. Peel carefully the waxpaper off your cake.
Roll cake up w/ the aid of wet towel. Transfer into plastic bags & refrigerate to avoid drying. Defrost roll before unrolling them.
Meringue Base Italian Meringue: You beat 3 eggwhites using mixer ’til foamy. Add cream-of-tartar and salt then beat continuously ’til soft-peaks form. Adjust mixer into low speed. In saucepan, you bring 1 & 1/3 c sugar & 1/2 c water to simmer then have it removed from the heat. Swirl your pan ’til sugar completely dissolves & liquid turns very clear.
Tightly cover pan & boil ’til soft ball stage. At slow-speed, whip heated syrup slowly into 3 eggwhites then adjust to fast-speed and blend for about 5 mins ’til eggwhites form shining yet stiff peaks. Cool then completely.
For Meringue-Mushrooms: Prepare oven. Heat it to two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop 1 quarted or meringue & place in pastry-bag. Squeeze 8-10 1/2-inch domes into pastry-sheet, this will be your caps of mushroom.
Hold 1/8 inch tube over tips of pastry-bag then squeeze 8-10 cone shapes w/ 3/4-inch high, this will serve as stem. Bake for 60 mins in middle oven layer ’til meringue pushes off easily against pastry-sheet. Return extra meringue that was not used into main mix.
For frosting & filling: Beat well melted choco into meringue. Add in rum, vanilla & melted butter. Scoop out 2/3 of this mixture, transfer into bowl then refrigerate, you will use this as frosting.
You beat another 1/2-stick butter onto remaining meringue, this will serve as filling.
Filling your cake: You unroll jelly sheet & then slice 1/4-inch off of longer edges. Spread filling evenly over top sheet part. Roll from 1 small end creating a log.
Slice one narrow diagonal cut from every log end. With your knife, create one hole at upper corner of your log. Insert 1 scrap piece, simulating bumps or branches.
Arrange w/ log seam-side-down on serving flat board. Slip in 2 waxpaper sheets under edges of every side 7 2 ends in order to catch spilling frosting.
Log frosting: Beat at least 2 Tbsps cocoa-powder into frosting mix, creating a consistency that is spreadable. With end parts free, you frost cake w/ the use of metal or rubber spatula. Scrumble w/ fork & spatula, simulating a roughened barlike appearance.
Before you serve: Pierce single hole right into bottom part of every meringue-mushroom cap. Then insert little frosting into holes and top off w/ stems made of meringue.
Arrange them neatly in clusters and pierce into logs. Sprinkle it w/ icing sugar, giving it snowy approach. Dust mushroom tops w/ powdered cocoa directly from sieve.
For caramel-veil: Simmer sugar together w/ corn-syrup plus 1/3 c water. Once mixture turns clear, tightly cover & boil ’til caramel-stage is achieved.
Cool for 2-3 mins ’til thick-strands forms when syrup is lifted w/ fork. Dip fork directly into prepared syrup then wave over broomstick, forming long & hanging caramel threads.
Finale: Lift caramel-strands off broomstick then drape over yule-log. You decorate your board w/ holly sprigs as desired.
>> A Buche De Noel – French Yule Log Cake Recipe
Chocolate Truffles (French-Style) Recipe
Ingredients:
3 lbs of semi-sweet chocolate
1 qt cream (heavy)
1/2 lb of butter (unsalted)
Powdered cocoa
Instruction:
Melt chocolate atop the double-boiler (do not cook) over slow heat, so that it will melt. Afterward, boil heavy cream. When chocolate melts completely and cream comes to a boil, mix it together atop the double-boiler. Take topmost pan out of the water. Turn heat off and mix til blended well. Stir continuously ’til it cools. Let it stand at room temp ’til it completely cools; then place inside the fridge overnight. This is a critical step.
The following day, re-melt mixture atop a double-boiler. Once it melts completely, stir in butter ’til well-absorbed. Whisk manually or slowly with electronic beater ’til butter becomes well-incorporated. Let it cool (cooling time depends on the type of chocolate). Refrigerate again overnight.
The following morning, reheat mixture; then whisk ’til it cools. Afterward, place inside the fridge ’til just it achives the thickness that is just right to squeeze out of the pastry bag.
With the half-sized nozzle, create small balls on baking sheet (or parchment paper) sprikled with powdered cocoa. Roll powder in; and keep it chilled ’til just prior to serving.
>> Chocolate Truffles (French-Style) Recipe