This 100% vanilla Yule log is entirely inspired by the “Bûche 1724” by Aymeric Pinard, Alain Ducasse’s pastry chef at the hotel Le Grand Contrôle at Airelles Château de Versailles. Last year, the chef shared his recipe during an Instagram live with With Ladyjoe. It had caught my eye, me being crazy about vanilla (not to mention its look, a real beauty). It’s made up of a vanilla crémeux, a disc of vanilla rice pudding, a vanilla sponge, a vanilla crunchy layer, a vanilla bavarian mousse and a vanilla almond praline.
“Bûche 1724” by Aymeric Pinard
I had the chance to taste this little marvel last year and I absolutely loved it. Visually first of all, it’s perfect! I’ll let you admire the photos taken on that occasion, it’s absolutely sumptuous. The only small flaw I found in it was that it wasn’t sweet enough. It sounds crazy to say that, but as a result it was lacking just a tiny bit of indulgence.
What are the differences from the chef’s recipe?
So last year, I made this dessert following the chef’s recipe to the letter. This year, I made it again but I made a few small changes. First of all, I reduced the amount of vanilla used, but I talk about that a little further down in the article. I also used my usual vanilla (Madagascar) whereas the chef uses a mix of 3 origins: Madagascar, India and Mexico. Finally, I changed the assembly of the log by leaving out the vanilla caviar and making an insert made up of the rice pudding and the crémeux. It was much simpler that way.
I really loved this dessert. The play of different textures (and the presence of rice pudding, a discovery for me inside an entremets, as well as the roasted vanilla) brings a lot of depth. It’s not very sweet and therefore perfect for finishing a hearty festive meal.
What is roasted vanilla?
I actually discovered roasted vanilla thanks to this recipe by chef Aymeric Pinard last year. I had never heard of it before and yet it’s very simple to do. You just need to take a nice vanilla pod (a whole one, I should point out) and roast it in the oven at 160°C for about twenty minutes. Once cooled, all you have to do is blitz it to obtain a powder (for this I use my Bamix with its little bowl called the processor, fitted with the powder disc, it’s super handy).
The flavours of roasted vanilla are completely different. It has nothing to do with infusing the vanilla (infusing will develop the aromas of the vanilla). Roasted vanilla has fuller-bodied, woody notes, reminiscent of the caramelised and chocolatey side of the vanilla pod. I recommend you give it a try, it’s really very interesting.
Which vanilla should I use?
Chef Aymeric Pinard uses vanilla of different origins to make this dessert. For each preparation, he uses a mix made up of: 1⁄3 Madagascar vanilla, 1⁄3 Mexican vanilla and 1⁄3 Indian vanilla. Here I used organic Madagascar vanilla from Norohy, which reveals intense notes of floral and woody aromas.
Forget the vanilla extract you can find in your supermarket (on the one hand, it isn’t vanilla and on the other, you will never get the desired result in terms of flavour). I also advise against the vanilla pods sold in supermarkets which, as well as being excessively expensive, are really mediocre. It would be a shame to go to the trouble of making such a beautiful recipe for a very average result.
How should I organise myself to make this dessert?
For the vanilla aromas to express themselves fully, I strongly advise you to infuse your vanilla (and that is obviously what chef Aymeric Pinard does). Take the time to read the recipe in full and to organise yourself. When I say that a preparation must be made the day before (as for the rice pudding or the roasted vanilla crémeux), this does not include the infusion time.
Ideally, I recommend doing a double infusion, first hot without exceeding 60-65°C (covered and hot) and then cold for 24 hours to give the vanilla aromas time to mature (*tip from chef Ayeric Pinard). Depending on the temperature, the vanilla aromas will express themselves differently.
Isn’t this dessert going to cost me too much?
I know that vanilla has become a luxury product in recent years. So inevitably, making a 100% vanilla dessert comes at a certain cost. In chef Aymeric Pinard’s recipe, there is a monstrous amount of vanilla and I followed this recipe to the letter last year. I really wanted to discover this recipe as the chef had imagined it. I had to use about fifteen pods. I know, it sounds crazy 😛 I absolutely loved this dessert but it’s true that vanilla no longer has the same flavours at all when it’s used in large quantities. For my second attempt this year, I reduced the quantities. If you count carefully, there are still 8 and a half vanilla pods. We could perhaps round it down to 8 pods (and only put one and a half pods in the bavarian in that case) or even go down to 6 pods if you halve the quantities of the vanilla praline, but I advise against reducing further.
Just know that the best way to save money on vanilla is to buy it in bulk. Admittedly, it’s a cost upfront, but it will last you a while and it will bring down the price per pod. What’s more, vanilla pods freeze very well. Usually, I buy them in packs of 30 or 40 pods and I freeze them straight away. This way, a vanilla pod costs me around €2 each (a supermarket pod can cost up to €7 and the quality isn’t there). Be careful, this isn’t the case for the vanilla I used for this recipe (from Norohy), which is a truly exceptional product and costs more (€19.50 for 3 Madagascar pods).
Which mould should I use?
For this Yule log, I used the Stella Del Circo mould from Silikomart, which seemed ideal to me with its recess. I could easily picture putting the praline inside 🙂 There is also an insert mould supplied with it, which I used to make the rice pudding and crémeux insert but also to bake the sponge.
If you don’t have this mould, no worries of course! You can incorporate the praline inside the log (in that case, I advise you to put it in the insert: crémeux/rice pudding/praline). For information, the Stella Del Circo mould has a volume of 1000 ml.
Ingredients & method
8 components · Full recipe
Vanilla Praline (can be made ahead)
Ingredients
- 140 g (4.9 oz) almonds
- 4 organic Madagascar vanilla pods
- 80 g (2.8 oz) sugar
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
Pour the caramel onto a baking paper-lined tray or silicone mat. Leave to cool.
2
Toast the almonds in the oven with the vanilla pods for about 30 minutes at 160°C / 325°F.
3
In a heavy-based saucepan, make a dry caramel with the sugar (I recommend adding it in 3 additions). You want a deep amber caramel. Don’t take your eyes off it — it can go quickly. Pour the caramel onto a baking paper-lined tray or silicone mat. Leave to cool. When everything ( caramel and almonds ) is completely cold, break up the caramel and place it in a food processor with the almonds , the vanilla pods and the fleur de sel.
4
Blend, pausing regularly (to prevent the paste from overheating), until you reach the consistency of praline paste. The longer you blend, the more liquid it will become.
5
Transfer the vanilla praline to an airtight jar — it keeps for several months at room temperature. With these quantities, you will obviously have leftover vanilla praline . It is absolutely delicious and you can use it for other desserts. However, if you have no use for it and also want to reduce the vanilla cost , you can halve the quantities. Though blending small amounts isn’t always easy…
Vanilla Rice Pudding (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 35 g (1.2 oz) arborio rice
- 185 g (6.5 oz) whole milk
- 95 g (3.4 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 15 g (0.5 oz) sugar
- 1/2 organic Madagascar vanilla pod
Method
1
The day before, gently heat the milk and cream with the vanilla seeds and the half pod (without exceeding 60-65°C / 149°F / 140-150°F). Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes off the heat.
2
After infusion, cool rapidly and refrigerate until the next day.
3
The next day, reheat the infused milk and cream, then add the round-grain rice. Stir, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
4
Towards the end of cooking, reduce the heat to the minimum and add the sugar. Stir again.
5
Pour about 150 g (5.3 oz) of rice pudding into the insert mould. Pour the remainder into small ramekins — it won’t go to waste 😉
Toasted Vanilla Cremeux (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 36 g (1.3 oz) whole milk
- 175 g (6.2 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 organic Madagascar vanilla pod
- 1.5 g (0.1 oz) toasted vanilla powder
- 36 g (1.3 oz) egg yolks (about 2 yolks)
- 30 g (1.1 oz) caster sugar
- 1.8 g (0.1 oz) gelatine (note: one sheet = 2 g (0.1 oz))
- 10 g (0.4 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
I explain at the beginning of the article how to make toasted vanilla. One vanilla pod should be enough. The day before, gently heat the milk and cream with the vanilla seeds and the half pod, along with the toasted vanilla powder (without exceeding 60-65°C / 149°F / 140-150°F). Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes off the heat.
2
After infusion, cool rapidly and refrigerate until the next day.
3
The next day, rehydrate the gelatine in the water.
4
Reheat the infused milk and cream mixture and bring gently to the boil.
5
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.
6
Pour the contents of the saucepan over the yolk-sugar mixture, mix well with a whisk and return everything to the heat.
7
Cook to a temperature of 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a spatula in a figure-of-eight motion. Be careful not to let the cream boil ( this would cause the eggs to scramble ).
8
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine. Stir, then blend briefly with an immersion blender.
9
Allow the cremeux to cool before pouring it over the rice pudding. Then return the whole insert to the freezer.
Vanilla Sponge
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) egg yolks (about 3 yolks)
- 25 g (0.9 oz) sugar
- 1 g (0 oz) baking powder
- 45 g (1.6 oz) flour
- 75 g (2.6 oz) egg whites (one white = about 30 g (1.1 oz))
- 35 g (1.2 oz) sugar
- 25 g (0.9 oz) grape seed oil
- 25 g (0.9 oz) whole milk
- 1/2 organic Madagascar vanilla pod
- a pinch of salt
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2
Place the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for about 5 minutes. The mixture will foam and increase in volume. Transfer to a bowl.
3
Next, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with the sugar. They should remain supple.
4
Fold the whipped whites into the first mixture gently with a spatula.
5
Then fold in the sifted dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and the pinch of salt, again gently.
6
In a small bowl, combine the milk and oil, then take a small portion of the batter and stir it into the liquids. Whisk vigorously until fully incorporated.
7
Pour the contents of the small bowl back into the main batter and fold together one last time with a spatula.
8
Pour 80 g (2.8 oz) of batter into the insert mould. The remaining batter can be poured into another mould or directly onto a sheet of baking paper.
9
Bake for approximately 13 to 15 minutes. The sponge should be soft and springy. For this sponge, the chef uses a grape seed oil in which he has infused vanilla, as well as vanilla-infused milk. To simplify the recipe, I suggest simply using half a vanilla pod.
10
You will have more batter than needed, but on one hand it’s tricky to work with very small quantities, and on the other, the surplus can be used to make another yule log. And of course, you can always snack on what’s left — nothing is ever wasted 😉
Crunchy Layer
Ingredients
- 45 g (1.6 oz) vanilla praline
- 35 g (1.2 oz) Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate
- 40 g (1.4 oz) feuilletine (crispy wafer crumbs)
- a small pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave.
2
Add the vanilla praline and mix well to incorporate it into the melted chocolate.
3
Add the crumbled feuilletine and the small pinch of fleur de sel and stir carefully with a spatula.
4
Spread a thin layer of the praline crunchy layer over the vanilla sponge.
Vanilla Bavarian Cream
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 105 g (3.7 oz) egg yolks (about 6 yolks)
- 45 g (1.6 oz) light brown sugar
- 5.5 g (0.2 oz) gelatine
- 33 g (1.2 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- 300 g (10.6 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 2 organic Madagascar vanilla pods
Method
1
The day before, gently heat the cream with the vanilla seeds and pods (without exceeding 60-65°C / 149°F / 140-150°F). Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes off the heat.
2
After infusion, cool rapidly and refrigerate until the next day.
3
The next day, rehydrate the gelatine in the water.
4
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.
5
Reheat the infused cream then pour it over the yolk-sugar mixture, mix well and return everything to a gentle heat.
6
Cook to a temperature of 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a spatula. Be careful not to let the cream boil.
7
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine. Leave to cool. You can strain this crème anglaise through a fine sieve or blend it with an immersion blender to remove any lumps. Whip the heavy cream but don’t over-whip it — it should be light and mousse-like.
8
When the crème anglaise has cooled to 30°C / 86°F, gently fold in the whipped cream and set aside.
Assembly of the 100% Vanilla Yule Log
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Pour the vanilla Bavarian cream into the yule log mould to three-quarters full. Tap gently to release any air bubbles, then use a spatula to push the mousse up the sides for a clean finish. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to slightly set the Bavarian cream and prevent the insert from sinking to the bottom.
2
Remove the rice pudding and vanilla cremeux insert from the freezer and gently press it into the mousse.
3
Cover with the remaining Bavarian mousse, leaving approximately 2 cm (0.8 in) at the top.
4
Finish with the vanilla sponge covered in the crunchy layer (crunchy side facing the mousse). Press lightly to embed the sponge. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
5
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the freezer overnight.
White Chocolate Velvet Spray
Ingredients
- 70 g (2.5 oz) Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate
- 30 g (1.1 oz) cocoa butter
Method
1
Melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter together in a double boiler or microwave. Stir with a spatula.
2
Strain, then pour the mixture into the reservoir of your spray gun (ideally use a smaller container that fits inside the main reservoir, such as a jam jar).
3
Remove the yule log from the freezer, unmould it carefully and place it on a wire rack. Don’t forget to protect your work area. Personally, I use 3 pieces of cardboard to surround the spraying area and aluminium foil or plastic wrap to cover the work surface. Spray the velvet effect from a distance of 30–40 cm (15.7 in).
4
Fill the indent with vanilla praline, then leave to defrost for 7 to 8 hours in the refrigerator (remember to take the yule log out 15 minutes before serving so it isn’t too cold).
Gallery
