This Christmas has not quite been as we'd all hoped, and we've had to find festive cheer in more solitary ways than spending time with all of our friends and family.
As part of this, I thought I would set myself a challenge to make a Christmas dessert I have never tried before... and what looks more festive than a chocolate yule log!
Start by greasing some greaseproof paper with oil and line a 33 x 21cm tin.
Whip 6 egg yolks, 1/4 tsp of vanilla essence and 225g of caster sugar until creamy. Sieve and fold in 50g cocoa powder.
In another bowl whisk the 6 egg whites until stiff (but not brittle!) and fold into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake at 180C for 20 minutes. You don't want to overcook it as it will crack when you roll it. It should be springy to touch but not wobbly like jelly.
Leave to shrink slightly (but don't let it completely cool down!) and take out of the tin. Spread a hot tea towel down and lay some greaseproof paper on top.
Sprinkle the paper with some more caster sugar and carefully flip the sponge face-down onto the tea towel.
Roll the sponge between the two sheets of greaseproof paper into a roll, to get it used to the shape. Don't roll it too tightly as it's more likely to crack.
Meanwhile melt 100g of plain chocolate with 30ml of water, and whip 450ml of double cream.
TOP TIP: don't whip the cream too stiff otherwise it's very difficult to spread onto the sponge.
Unroll the sponge until flat again and VERY slowly peel off the inner greaseproof paper. I used a palette knife to help with this.
Spread the melted chocolate all over the sponge followed by the whipped cream. Slowly roll the log back into a roll, cover with cling film and refrigerate until you're ready to decorate!
To decorate:
Anything Christmassy looks so much better with a sprinkle of icing sugar!
I also added some holly (make sure you wash it!) and some cranberries to decorate.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and enjoy the rest of the festive period!
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