A few days ago, I shared my first Christmas recipe with you (some apple, caramel and tonka bean Christmas baubles).
Today, I’m presenting my first Yule log of the season: a vanilla and caramel rolled Yule log that hides crunchy milk chocolate pearls inside.
It’s a recipe I had spotted last year on the Norohy vanilla website (aren’t those chocolate petals gorgeous?) and that I hadn’t had time to make. So I promised myself I’d make it the following year. Now it’s done and I’m delighted, because it’s as delicious as it is simple to make. In fact, it’s been approved for Christmas; it will be one of the 2 Yule logs for Christmas Eve 🙂
Note that it’s not exactly the Norohy vanilla recipe. I took inspiration from the look of it, but I used my vanilla whipped ganache recipe, which works very well, and I added a little salted butter caramel for extra indulgence. I also replaced the crunchy dark chocolate pieces with crunchy milk chocolate pearls. And it was perfect like that!
To make the white chocolate petals, you’ll need white couverture chocolate so that you can temper it. The brand doesn’t matter, Valrhona, Cacao Barry or another (I’m currently testing Cémoi couverture chocolate). Here’s a quick little video of this Yule log being made; it may help you to picture it.
As for the rolled sponge, I went for a Viennese sponge like the original recipe, but I took the quantities from Maxime of the blog Empreinte sucrée, who also made this Yule log. This sponge is ultra soft and rolls without any problem. I soaked it with a little vanilla syrup. Then it’s fairly simple: you spread the vanilla whipped ganache, a little salted butter caramel and some crunchy pearls, roll it up and chill it briefly so that the ganache firms up. Then you spread the remaining ganache over the top (I didn’t put enough on, for my part) and stick the chocolate petals on one by one. I can assure you that this vanilla and caramel rolled Yule log will make quite an impression on your Christmas table <3
Ingredients & method
6 components · Full recipe
White chocolate petals (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white couverture chocolate
- 1/2 vanilla pod
Method
1
Temper the white couverture chocolate and add the seeds from the half vanilla pod. Mix well.
2
Prepare strips of guitar paper about 6 cm (2.4 in) wide.
3
Using a piping bag or cone, pipe dots of tempered white chocolate, cover with a second strip of guitar paper, then press firmly with a flat-bottomed glass or stainless steel pusher to form thin discs (to make cutting the yule log easier later).
4
Place the guitar paper strips in a curved mould (gouttière) to give the petals a curved shape. Leave to set. Make one or two strips at a time as tempered chocolate sets quickly.
5
You need around fifty petals.
6
You can stack the guitar paper strips in the mould and keep them at room temperature until final assembly.
Salted butter caramel (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- None
Method
Vanilla whipped ganache (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 145 g (5.1 oz) heavy cream
- 112 g (4 oz) white chocolate
- 3 g (0.1 oz) powdered gelatine
- 18 g (0.6 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- 230 g (8.1 oz) cold heavy cream
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in the water.
2
Break the white chocolate into pieces in a bowl (you can melt it slightly in a double boiler or microwave).
3
Heat the 145 g (5.1 oz) of cream with the split and scraped vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
4
Remove the vanilla pod, then reheat the cream.
5
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.
6
Pour one third of the cream over the white chocolate and mix with a spatula to emulsify. Then pour a second third, then a third, until you have a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
7
Add the 230 g (8.1 oz) of cold cream and mix again. Blend briefly with an immersion blender to fully homogenise.
Soaking syrup
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) water
- 30 g (1.1 oz) sugar
- 1/2 vanilla pod
Method
1
Put the water, sugar and scraped half vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.
Viennese sponge
Ingredients
- 45 g (1.6 oz) egg yolks (2 to 3 yolks)
- 75 g (2.6 oz) whole eggs
- 50 g (1.8 oz) sugar (1)
- 90 g (3.2 oz) egg whites
- 25 g (0.9 oz) sugar (2)
- 50 g (1.8 oz) plain flour (T55)
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F.
2
In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks and 50 g (1.8 oz) of sugar. The mixture will increase in volume and become slightly frothy.
3
At the same time, whip the egg whites, adding the 25 g (0.9 oz) of sugar in 3 additions.
4
Pour half of the whipped whites into the egg mixture. Fold gently with a spatula.
5
Add the remaining whites and the sifted flour, then fold again gently.
6
Spread the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to form a 30 x 40 cm (15.7 in) rectangle.
7
Bake for about 12 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
8
Leave to cool, then peel off and trim the dry edges.
Assembly
Ingredients
- the vanilla whipped ganache prepared earlier
- salted butter caramel (recipe)
- crunchy milk chocolate pearls
- white chocolate petals prepared earlier
Method
1
Whip the vanilla ganache with a mixer until firm enough to pipe but not over-whipped. Remember to set aside five generous tablespoons of whipped ganache for covering the yule log.
2
Spread the whipped ganache evenly over the sponge, leaving 2 cm (0.8 in) without cream on one of the two sides.
3
Add a little salted butter caramel (in a few zigzags). Don’t add too much — it adds sweetness.
4
Finish by scattering milk chocolate pearls over the top.
5
Roll the yule log carefully starting from the shorter side of the sponge. Use the parchment paper to help you roll. Once fully rolled, tighten it using the parchment paper and a baking sheet. Watch a video for guidance on the technique. Refrigerate for one hour (or 30 minutes in the freezer) until the ganache firms up.
6
Remove from the fridge (or freezer) and trim both ends neatly.
7
Spread the remaining whipped ganache over the yule log (you can use parchment paper to get a smooth finish), then transfer to a serving platter.
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