Today, I’m sharing a lovely Christmas recipe with you: a chocolate, caramel and vanilla Yule log made up of a chocolate and Sarawak pepper mousse, a caramel mousse and a vanilla crémeux insert, all sitting on a chocolate and fleur de sel brownie and covered in a mirror glaze.
Last Saturday, we celebrated Christmas early with friends and I (of course) took care of dessert. I even took the time to make a few meringue decorations. Everyone loved it: chocolate, caramel and vanilla go together wonderfully! My sister also got to taste it the next day and she a-do-red it! And yet she’s not much of a chocolate person!
For this recipe, I took my inspiration from Chef Nini‘s blog (for the caramel mousse, the chocolate brownie, the meringue sticks and the mushrooms). You should also know that I’m sharing this recipe for a very special occasion…
Ingredients & preparation
7 components · Full recipe
Mirror Glaze (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 120 g (4.2 oz) water
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 g (3.5 oz) heavy cream
- 10 g (0.4 oz) gelatin
- 60 g (2.1 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatin)
Preparation
1
Rehydrate the gelatin in very cold water.
2
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk to combine.
3
Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
4
Add the rehydrated gelatin and blend with an immersion blender.
5
Cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface and refrigerate.
Vanilla Cremeux (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 376 g (13.3 oz) heavy cream
- 2 vanilla pods
- 4 g (0.1 oz) vanilla extract
- 60 g (2.1 oz) sugar
- 90 g (3.2 oz) egg yolks
- 2 gelatin sheets
Preparation
1
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water to soften.
2
In a saucepan, heat the cream, vanilla pods, vanilla extract and sugar and bring to a boil.
3
Gradually whisk the hot cream into the egg yolks, then cook like a crème anglaise to 85°C / 185°F.
4
Cool over an ice bath, then strain through a fine sieve.
5
Squeeze the gelatin sheets dry and stir into the mixture.
6
Pour into a 12 cm (4.7 in) square frame lined with plastic wrap and freeze.
Chocolate Brownie with Guérande Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 175 g (6.2 oz) dark chocolate
- 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) butter
- 40 g (1.4 oz) flour
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 pinches of Guérande sea salt
Preparation
1
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave.
2
Off the heat, add the butter, then the sugar, the eggs and the flour, mixing well after each addition.
3
Place a rectangular frame on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pour in the batter. Spread evenly to form a rectangle about 1 cm (0.4 in) thick.
4
Sprinkle with Guérande sea salt.
5
Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C / 350°F. Let cool, then cut the brownie to the size of your yule log mould. Set aside.
Salted Caramel Mousse
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) sugar
- 37 g (1.3 oz) butter
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
- 5 cl (1.7 fl oz) + 15 cl (5.1 fl oz) heavy cream
- 30 g (1.1 oz) egg yolks
- 1.5 gelatin sheets
Preparation
1
Soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water to soften.
2
Melt the sugar in a saucepan over low heat.
3
While watching, cut the butter into cubes and bring the 5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of cream to a boil.
4
Once the caramel is ready, remove from heat, whisk in the butter and the hot cream. Return to low heat if necessary to melt any remaining caramel pieces.
5
Whisk in the egg yolks, then add the squeezed-out gelatin.
6
While the mixture cools slightly, whip the remaining 15 cl (5.1 fl oz) of cream with an electric mixer.
7
Fold the whipped cream gently into the warm caramel using a spatula. Set aside.
Sarawak Pepper Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 70 g (2.5 oz) sugar
- 30 cl (10.1 fl oz) milk
- 3 gelatin sheets
- 200 g (7.1 oz) dark chocolate
- 30 cl (10.1 fl oz) heavy cream
- 3-4 g (0.1 oz) Sarawak pepper
Preparation
1
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water to soften.
2
Break the chocolate into pieces in a bowl.
3
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale.
4
Heat the milk with the crushed Sarawak pepper and bring to a boil.
5
Strain the hot milk through a fine sieve to remove the pepper, then gradually pour it over the egg yolk mixture.
6
Cook like a crème anglaise without boiling, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon.
7
Off the heat, add the squeezed-out gelatin, then pour the custard over the chocolate in three additions, stirring well to create an emulsion. Let cool.
8
Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture. Set aside.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Pour the chocolate mousse into the yule log mould (filling it halfway) and spread it up the sides with a spatula for a clean finish. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes to let the mousse set slightly (so the insert doesn’t sink).
2
Remove the frozen vanilla cremeux insert and cut it in half to obtain two rectangles. Gently lay them on top of the chocolate mousse and press down lightly. Return to the freezer for about 15 minutes.
3
Pour the caramel mousse on top, leaving about a centimetre of space, then press the chocolate brownie on top. Press down gently.
4
Smooth the surface with a spatula.
5
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Decoration
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Remove the entremet from the freezer and unmould.
2
Place the frozen entremet on a wire rack set over a plate or tray to catch the excess glaze.
3
Warm the mirror glaze to approximately 30°C / 86°F, blend once more with an immersion blender being careful not to incorporate air bubbles, then pour it gently over the entremet to coat completely.
4
Transfer the entremet from the rack to a serving dish.
5
For the decoration, arrange the meringue sticks along the sides of the yule log and the meringue mushrooms on top.
6
Allow to thaw in the refrigerator. Allow at least 6 to 7 hours of thawing time.
Gallery
