Chocolate and Hazelnut Yule Log Recipe

Ingredients

• •

  400 g hazelnut flour

• •

  4 g cream of tartar

• •

  120 g sugar

• •

  400 g hazelnuts

  chopped

• •

  120 g sugar

• •

  35 g gelatin powder

• •

  245 g sugar

• •

  Acetate

Instructions

1. 1

   Crunchy Praline

2. 2

   Melt the chocolate and praline in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and fold in the croustilline. Spread on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and freeze.

3. 3

   Hazelnut Dacquoise

4. 4

   Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 30 x 40 cm baking sheet with a Silpat mat.

5. 5

   Sift the icing sugar and hazelnut flour together.

6. 6

   In a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and half the sugar. Beat until frothy and light and sprinkle in the remaining sugar. Beat to stiff peaks. Fold in the sifted icing sugar and hazelnut flour, being careful not to lose volume.

7. 7

   Spread the mixture in the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. Sprinkle with icing sugar and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with icing sugar again.

8. 8

   Bake for 20 minutes and then cool completely.

9. 9

   Two Chocolate Cremeux

10. 10

    Heat the cream over medium-high heat to just below boiling. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. Put the two chocolates in a bowl.

11. 11

    Whisk a small ladle of the hot liquid into the egg yolk mixture to temper. Repeat once more, and then whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining cream in the pot.

12. 12

    Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook the custard mixture until it begins to thicken. When it's ready, it should hold a finger trail on the back of a spoon.

13. 13

    Strain over the chocolate and stir to emulsify. Cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

14. 14

    Assembling Cake Layer

15. 15

    Remove the praline from the freezer and spread with a layer of the chocolate cremeux. Cover with the hazelnut dacquoise. Spread another layer of chocolate cremeux over the top. Tap the sheet pan to remove bubbles. Freeze.

16. 16

    Milk Chocolate Mousse

17. 17

    Hydrate the gelatin in cold water. Carefully melt the gelatin over low heat.

18. 18

    Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

19. 19

    In a heavy pot over medium-high heat combine the 80 g of water and sugar and cook until it reaches 118ºC.

20. 20

    Put the egg yolks in a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. When the sugar syrup is ready, turn the mixer on to high and slowly stream the hot sugar into the egg yolks. Continue to beat until the egg yolk mixture is cool. Beat in the melted gelatin and chocolate.

21. 21

    Beat the whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture until there are no streaks.

22. 22

    Assembling

23. 23

    Line the yule log mould with acetate.

24. 24

    Pour the milk chocolate mousse into the mould to fill by one third, and cover with a cake layer. Add another layer of chocolate mousse, and finish with a layer of cake. Freeze.

25. 25

    Unmould and spray the yule log with chocolate. Decorate and serve.