Here we are, practically 2 weeks from Christmas, how time flies! If you haven’t found your Christmas dessert yet, here’s an idea that may well delight your taste buds. This Yule log was created by Pascal Lac, who prettily named it « La Canadienne ». The recipe was published in issue #20 of Fou de Pâtisserie magazine.
I can already hear you saying « oh dear, but it’s far too complicated, that’s not a dessert for me! » I won’t lie to you, yes, it’s a more difficult and longer recipe than the traditional rolled Yule log but it’s entirely doable with a bit of organisation and by following the recipe to the letter. Yes, really, I promise, trust yourself 🙂
I myself followed the advice of Valérie from the blog C’est ma fournée, which also made me want to use the same mould as her, namely the Stella Del Circo by Silikomart that I had bought at Cuisine Shop a while ago. This mould is a bit expensive but it’s made up of several parts, all of which can be used for this recipe. Of course, you can also use another mould.
Photo credit: Cuisine Shop
This maple, pear, nougatine and caramel Yule log recipe isn’t called « La Canadienne » for nothing. It’s made up of a pain de Gênes sponge and a maple mousse, a brand new flavour for me. I used maple sugar, which you can find at Zôdio. That’s also where I found the bronze-coloured pearlescent spray (fancied a bit of a change). The maple is paired here with pear, nougatine and caramel. A very lovely combination. So yes, admittedly, this Yule log requires a bit of work but you’ll be amply rewarded when you taste it.
Ingredients & preparation
7 components · Full recipe
Maple Génoise Sponge
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) of marzipan
- 60 g (2.1 oz) of egg
- 35 g (1.2 oz) of maple sugar
- 40 g (1.4 oz) of butter
- 35 g (1.2 oz) of flour
- 1 g (0 oz) of baking powder
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F fan-assisted/convection.
2
Melt the butter, then leave to cool.
3
In a blender, first blend the marzipan with the maple sugar and eggs until a smooth, homogeneous paste is obtained.
4
Pour this paste into a bowl while sieving it (a few small pieces of marzipan may remain). Whisk this mixture for 5 minutes to aerate it.
5
Add the melted butter (which should be around 45°C / 113°F), then the sifted flour and baking powder mixture. Fold in gently with a spatula.
6
Pour the batter into the small part of the Stella Del Circo mould (the insert mould). The quantity of batter is small, which helps minimise waste.
7
Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Unmould and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
8
Once the sponge is cold, cut it in two lengthways. Set aside (and wash the insert mould, which will be used again).
Pear Insert
Ingredients
- 185 g (6.5 oz) of pear purée
- 5 g (0.2 oz) of caster sugar
- 3 g (0.1 oz) of NH pectin
- 10 g (0.4 oz) of pear alcohol (eau-de-vie)
- 4 g (0.1 oz) of powdered gelatine
- 24 g (0.8 oz) of water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the powdered gelatine in the water.
2
In a small saucepan, heat half the pear purée.
3
Mix the sugar and pectin together thoroughly (pectin added on its own risks forming lumps).
4
Add the sugar-pectin mixture and bring to the boil for one minute. Off the heat, add the remaining pear purée, the pear alcohol and the rehydrated gelatine, and stir.
5
Pour the pear jelly into the insert mould provided.
6
Place one of the maple sponge pieces on top (smooth side in contact with the pear) and set aside in the freezer overnight. Wrap the other piece of maple sponge in cling film and also place in the freezer.
Nougatine Alcazar
Ingredients
- 25 g (0.9 oz) of butter
- 25 g (0.9 oz) of sugar
- 10 g (0.4 oz) of glucose syrup
- 30 g (1.1 oz) of flaked almonds
Method
1
Bake for approximately 20 minutes (keep an eye on it, especially towards the end of the cooking time).
2
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
3
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F fan-assisted/convection.
4
In a very small saucepan, melt the butter then add the sugar and glucose syrup.
5
Add the flaked almonds all at once. Remove from the heat and stir. For baking, you need to use the large Stella Del Circo mould, from which the rigid plastic base has been removed (very important!) and which is turned upside down. There is a small indentation, perfect for baking this preparation.
Creamy Caramel
Ingredients
- 35 g (1.2 oz) of water
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 120 g (4.2 oz) of full-fat liquid cream
- 80 g (2.8 oz) of glucose
- 35 g (1.2 oz) of softened butter
- 1/4 vanilla pod or a quarter teaspoon of vanilla powder
- 4 g (0.1 oz) of powdered gelatine
- 24 g (0.8 oz) of water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- 1.5 g (0.1 oz) of fleur de sel
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.
2
In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and glucose. Bring to the boil and monitor the temperature with a thermometer, as you will need to heat the mixture to 185°C / 365°F.
3
Meanwhile, heat the full-fat cream with the vanilla seeds for a few seconds in the microwave. The cream should be very hot.
4
Once the temperature of 185°C / 365°F is reached, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hot vanilla cream. The caramel will bubble up and increase in volume.
5
Return to the heat and cook the caramel again until it reaches 110°C / 225°F. Remove from the heat. The caramel must now cool down to 60°C / 140°F. You can stir it from time to time to speed up the cooling.
6
Add the rehydrated gelatine. Mix well with a whisk.
7
Once the caramel reaches 35°C / 95°F, add the softened butter and fleur de sel. Mix well with a whisk.
8
Transfer the caramel to a clean jar.
Maple Mousse
Ingredients
- 210 g (7.4 oz) + 60 g (2.1 oz) of full-fat liquid cream
- 82 g (2.9 oz) of maple sugar
- 105 g (3.7 oz) of mascarpone
- 6 g (0.2 oz) of powdered gelatine
- 36 g (1.3 oz) of water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 210 g (7.4 oz) of full-fat liquid cream with the maple sugar and mascarpone. Whisk, gradually increasing the speed, until a slightly firm (but not too firm) cream is obtained.
3
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 60 g (2.1 oz) of full-fat liquid cream for a few seconds in the microwave. Add the rehydrated gelatine. Mix well.
4
Gradually add the gelatine cream to the whipped cream, stirring gently with a spatula.
5
Fill 8 cavities of the mini-truffle mould with the maple mousse and place in the freezer. Set aside the remainder until assembly.
Assembly of “La Canadienne” by Pascal Lac
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Start by placing the rigid plastic support to hold the large silicone mould.
2
Pour the maple mousse into the yule log mould, spreading it well up the sides with a spatula for a clean finish.
3
Remove the insert from the freezer (pear/sponge) and press it gently into the mousse, centring it carefully (pear side against the mousse).
4
Add a little more mousse (but keep some for the end of the assembly) and smooth with a spatula.
5
Spread the caramel over the nougatine.
6
Place the nougatine almond-side down into the mousse, then add the last piece of sponge, cut side against the nougatine.
7
Add the remaining mousse all around the sponge. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
8
Cover with cling film and set aside in the freezer overnight.
Decoration of the Maple, Pear, Nougatine and Caramel Yule Log
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
To unmould, first remove the rigid plastic base.
2
Once the entremet is unmoulded, place it on a wire rack and spray a thin layer of pearlescent bronze spray at a distance of 30–40 cm (remember to protect your work surface well).
3
Unmould the 8 mousse balls and dip them in a neutral glaze (I used a ready-to-use neutral glaze that I warmed slightly in the microwave).
4
Leave to defrost for 6–7 hours in the refrigerator. I made a few maple leaves from white chocolate tinted red (I didn’t use the right colouring, hence the colour…). You will need a fat-soluble colouring for white chocolate.
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