Unless I find a bit of time next week, here is the last recipe before Christmas. Yes, because I don’t know about you, but for me it’s a bit of a race as Christmas approaches. On the work front, December means a show, an outing, assessments, school reports and… over-excited pupils, otherwise it wouldn’t be as much fun. And at home, it’s a race to finish the Christmas presents, think about and even start preparing the Christmas dessert(s). Given that we’re spending the holidays in Normandy at my sister’s, it takes a whole lot of organising!
That said, I do want to tell you that this Yule log doesn’t date from last year (unlike the other Yule logs published recently), I made it last week. I had a furious urge to get into the kitchen after discovering the exotic Yule log by Sabrina from the blog Mes douceurs.
I reworked it my own way and, of course, I replaced the passion fruit with calamansi (you shouldn’t even be surprised anymore :P), I added some diced pineapple to the compote and I made a different sponge base (this time it was from Julien that I drew my inspiration, after watching his live video made with chef Philippe from Meilleur du chef: reconstituted shortbread + dacquoise).
So here is a new recipe for a pineapple, calamansi and coconut Yule log. It is made up of a pineapple and calamansi crémeux, a reconstituted shortbread, a coconut dacquoise and a coconut mousse.
Native to South-East Asia, the calamansi is a very small citrus fruit, two to three centimetres in diameter. It is the fruit of the calamondin tree. Born from a cross between the mandarin and the kumquat, it offers a wide range of flavours. Widely used in Filipino cuisine, it is rich in vitamin C and gives off a delicate mandarin scent with a bitter orange taste. It is as tangy as a lemon, as fragrant as a lime, as bitter as a pink grapefruit and has a taste of passion fruit on top of that. Yes, all of that! For someone who isn’t really a fan of citrus fruits, I have to say I love calamansi! I bought the calamansi purée from G. Detou in Paris. If you can’t find any, you can replace it with passion fruit purée.
Photo credit: Alibaba
For the decoration, I used a quilted-effect decorating mat but I can’t for the life of me remember where I bought it (not from CuisineShop for once, I came across it by chance in a small, unassuming little shop). I love the result, it’s really simple and there’s no need for a mirror glaze for those who are scared at the idea of giving it a go. A simple white velvet spray does the job (I buy them from Zôdio). It was the first time I had made Yule log ends like this, it’s quite a minimalist decoration in the end but I like it. The yellow and the pineapple leaves hint at the flavours of the Yule log, and that was all I needed.
I also tried the individual version with the Bollicine mould from CuisineShop (you’ll find a few photos at the bottom of the post). I love the shape!!! The mould is quite small so I couldn’t fit the dacquoise sponge in, I preferred to put in more coconut mousse.
In any case, it’s a recipe that won unanimous approval from my colleagues, I was told it was a fresh, light and above all not-too-sweet dessert. In short, perfect for finishing off a hearty meal like the one awaiting us on Christmas Eve.
I’m often asked the question, so I’m taking advantage of this post to point out that you can make this dessert right now to have peace of mind. Entremets-style desserts keep very well in the freezer. You freeze your dessert, the next day you wrap it in cling film and put it in a freezer bag to stop it picking up freezer smells. And there you go… no more to be said! On the morning of Christmas Eve, you take your dessert out and glaze/spray it, decorate it and put it in the fridge until the evening.
Ingredients & preparation
8 components · Full recipe
Victoria Pineapple Compote
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) Victoria pineapple
- 12 g (0.4 oz) brown sugar
- 6 g (0.2 oz) pectin
- zest of 1/2 lime
Preparation
1
First cut off both ends of the pineapple with a serrated knife. Trim away the skin close to the flesh. Then remove the eyes by cutting diagonally into the pineapple to remove each row. Cut the pineapple into 4 and remove the hard core from the centre.
2
Dice 150 g (5.3 oz) of pineapple into a small brunoise and blend 150 g (5.3 oz) to obtain a smooth purée.
3
In a saucepan, combine the pineapple purée and brunoise and heat to approximately 40°C / 104°F.
4
Add the sugar/pectin mixture and mix with a whisk ( it is important to mix the sugar and pectin together first to avoid lumps ).
5
Bring to a boil and cook for one minute.
6
Off the heat, add the lime zest.
7
Pour this preparation into your insert mold and place in the freezer while you prepare the crémeux.
Pineapple and Kalamansi Crémeux
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) Victoria pineapple purée
- 50 g (1.8 oz) kalamansi purée
- 50 g (1.8 oz) egg yolks
- 67 g (2.4 oz) whole eggs
- 40 g (1.4 oz) sugar
- 2.5 g (0.1 oz) powdered gelatine
- 15 g (0.5 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- 80 g (2.8 oz) cold butter
Preparation
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.
2
Pour the fruit purées into a saucepan then add the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Mix everything together with a whisk.
3
Heat to 83°C / 181°F, stirring continuously. The cream will thicken. Just as with cooking a crème anglaise, take care not to exceed this temperature. If you do not have a thermometer, here is chef Michalak’s tip: whisk the mixture quickly then stop. If the swirl stops abruptly, the cream is at the right temperature. Add the rehydrated gelatine and stir.
4
When the cream has cooled to approximately 35°C / 95°F, pour it into a tall container ( I use a jug ). Add the cold butter all at once then blend with an immersion blender. The cream should be smooth and will lighten slightly in colour.
5
Pour over the pineapple compote to a depth of approximately 1 cm (you should have a little crémeux left over). Place in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
Sablé
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) softened butter
- 35 g (1.2 oz) icing sugar
- 12 g (0.4 oz) egg yolks
- 2 g (0.1 oz) fine salt
- 92 g (3.2 oz) flour
Preparation
1
See the recipe.
Assembling the Sablé
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sablé biscuit
- 45 g (1.6 oz) soft brown sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
- zest of 1 lime
Preparation
1
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F fan-assisted/convection.
2
For the sablé, mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth ball of dough.
3
Roll the dough out to 3 or 4 mm thick and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely.
4
Once cooled, process 150 g (5.3 oz) of sablé in a food processor with the brown sugar and lime zest.
5
In a bowl, combine the crumb mixture, add the softened butter and mix with your fingertips.
6
Spread this mixture into an 18 cm (7.1 in) square entremet frame. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the dacquoise.
Coconut Dacquoise
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) icing sugar
- 75 g (2.6 oz) desiccated coconut
- 15 g (0.5 oz) cornstarch
- 100 g (3.5 oz) egg whites
- 30 g (1.1 oz) sugar
- zest of 1 lime
Preparation
1
Turn the oven up to 180°C / 350°F.
2
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar in 3 additions, until the consistency of a meringue.
3
Sift together the icing sugar, cornstarch and desiccated coconut.
4
Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites gently.
5
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 10 mm plain tip. Pipe a large 18 cm (7.1 in) square.
6
Dust the surface with icing sugar using a sieve.
7
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The dacquoise should be dry to the touch and lightly golden.
8
Leave the biscuit to cool slightly then cut out an 18 cm (7.1 in) square. Place it, still warm, on top of the reconstructed sablé. Place the two layered biscuits in the freezer for at least 1 hour. They will bond together.
Coconut Mousse
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) coconut milk
- 250 g (8.8 oz) heavy cream
- 30 g (1.1 oz) caster sugar
- 8 g (0.3 oz) powdered gelatine
- 48 g (1.7 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Preparation
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in very cold water.
2
In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk with the sugar.
3
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine.
4
Whip the heavy cream but do not overwhip; it should be mousse-like.
5
When the coconut milk has cooled to 35°C / 95°F, gently fold in the whipped cream and set aside.
Yule Log Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Remove the biscuits from the frame and cut two strips to a total length of 24 cm (9.4 in) and a width of 8 cm (3.1 in). Return to the freezer.
2
Place the textured mat inside the mold (note: the texture should face inwards, towards the mousse).
3
Pour three-quarters of the coconut mousse into the yule log mold and spread it up the sides with a spatula for a neat finish. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes so the mousse sets slightly.
4
Remove the insert from the freezer (pineapple compote/pineapple crémeux) and gently press it into the mousse, centred (pineapple compote side facing the mousse).
5
Add the remaining coconut mousse, leaving approximately a centimetre of space at the top, then press in the biscuit base.
6
Smooth the surface with a spatula.
7
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the freezer overnight.
Decorating the Pineapple, Kalamansi and Coconut Yule Log
Ingredients
- a white velvet spray
- coloured white chocolate
- pineapple leaves (well washed)
Preparation
1
Either you have invested in an airbrush (for this purpose only, of course), or you do as I do and use a ready-to-use velvet spray. But be careful, whatever you use, there are a few rules to follow if you do not want to redecorate your kitchen!
2
Remove the entremet from the freezer, unmold it and place on a wire rack. Personally, I stopped spraying inside my dishwasher as it still left traces after washing. And since we have a new dishwasher, I want to take care of it. I use whatever I have to hand to protect the work surface (cardboard, packaging, a plastic bag or baking paper…) Spray a thin coat from a distance of 30-40 cm (15.7 in).
3
Decorate as you wish and leave to defrost for 6-7 hours in the refrigerator.
