Yule log - Rick Stein

"I love chocolate. For the Yule log it’s all about the Swiss roll. Make sure your sponge mixture is evenly spread and you don’t overcook it. The edges shouldn’t be dry and when you touch the sponge it should spring back. This is one of my favourite Christmas treats, it’s a great combination of marzipan, chocolate and sponge, a great alternative to the traditional Christmas pudding - something to really impress your guests!" Stuart Pate

© Stuart Pate

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the chocolate swiss roll:

4 eggs

100 g caster sugar

75 g plain flour

25 g cocoa powder

For the ganache (mix both ingredients together)

240 g cream heated

480 g dark chocolate


For the chocolate mousse:

350 g double cream

300 g ganache


For the garnish:

420 g ganache

300 g white marzipan

Red food colour

Green food colour

50 g royal icing

40 g melted dark chocolate for piping

Method

For the chocolate swiss roll, whisk the eggs and sugar together to ribbon stage.  Sieve the cocoa powder and flour together, and then fold the dry ingredients in to the egg and sugar mix.  Spread very carefully onto baking parchment, then place onto a baking tray and bake at 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 for 6 to 8 minutes.

When cooked turn out onto sugared parchment paper then peel off the parchment paper the sponge was cooked on then roll the sponge up in the parchment and allow to cool.

For the chocolate mousse, whisk the cream to nearly ribbon, melt ganache to 38 °c and fold the two together.

With the cool chocolate sponge, spread the mousse through the middle and then roll up and coat the outside with the remaining mousse, allow to set.  To finish, coat with the ganache, garnish with the marzipan plaque, moss and toad stools and dust with icing sugar.

( Last Updated: 09-01-2012 )