It’s a Yule log made last year that I’m offering you this evening, it was waiting patiently for the Christmas holidays. But I no longer liked the photos. It was the perfect opportunity to make it again and take new photos! No regrets! It was a huge success at a meal with friends (and to think I still have a small 6-person Yule log left in the freezer ^^).
It’s a vanilla, pear and hazelnut Yule log. I used Mercotte‘s recipe for the hazelnut sponge and I added a little gianduja crunchy layer (which I hadn’t done last year), but it’s honestly better this way. It adds a little indulgent touch (goodness, the gianduja!!!!) not to mention that crunchy texture we all love, I think.
As for the look of the Yule log, I quite simply copied the idea from Auriane of the blog Sucre d’orge et pain d’épices. I loved the look of her blackcurrant and chestnut Yule log. Here, I used brown colouring to echo the hazelnut.
Some of you will no doubt be wondering what the ALPRO plant-based drink is. I discovered these drinks at the Soissons food blog fair a little while ago (chef Régis had made choux buns with hazelnut pastry cream using this drink). I let myself be tempted… you can find them very easily in supermarkets and there are other varieties (such as almond milk).
So yes, it may be a difficult recipe when you’re a beginner. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. There are several preparations, some of which can be made the day before or several days ahead. If you want to lighten the workload (and that’s what I do regularly), you just need to get organised.For example:
- D-3: the gelled pear purée (in the freezer) + the mirror glaze (in a tupperware, in the fridge)
- D-2: the hazelnut sponge and its crunchy layer (kept in cling film, in the fridge)
- D-1: the Bavarian mousse + the assembly (in the freezer)
- D-day: reheat the glaze + the decoration
In short, I have only one piece of advice: don’t be put off by the length of the recipe (which I try to detail as much as possible) and go for it! You’ll wow your guests at Christmas!
Ingredients & method
7 components · Full recipe
Mirror Glaze (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) glucose syrup
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 75 ml (2.5 fl oz) water
- 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsweetened condensed milk
- 10 g (0.4 oz) powdered gelatine
- 60 g (2.1 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- white food colouring
- brown food colouring
Method
1
Ideally, make the glaze the day before (or in advance) and reheat it in the microwave when ready to use.
2
Rehydrate the powdered gelatine in the 60 g (2.1 oz) of water and leave to bloom.
3
In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar and glucose syrup and heat to 103°C / 217°F.
4
Meanwhile, in a tall jug, combine the white chocolate (chopped), unsweetened condensed milk, bloomed gelatine and white food colouring.
5
When the sugar syrup reaches 103°C / 217°F, pour it into the jug, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth — be careful not to incorporate air, as this will create unsightly bubbles in the finished glaze.
6
Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, then spoon off a few tablespoons of the glaze and colour them brown.
7
Transfer the white glaze and brown glaze to two separate containers and refrigerate until needed.
Gelled Pear Puree (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) pear puree
- 15 g (0.5 oz) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1–2 tablespoons pear brandy (optional)
- 3 g (0.1 oz) gelatine
- diced pears (equivalent of 1 pear)
Method
1
Soak the gelatine in cold water.
2
Peel the pear and dice into small cubes. Set aside.
3
Heat the pear puree, sugar, pear brandy and lemon juice over medium heat until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed-out gelatine.
4
Pour the pear puree into a yule log insert mould. Add the diced pear. Leave to cool, then freeze for several hours (or overnight).
Hazelnut Sponge
Ingredients
- 92 g (3.2 oz) ground hazelnuts
- 75 g (2.6 oz) caster sugar
- 37 g (1.3 oz) butter, softened
- 112 g (4 oz) whole eggs
- 10 g (0.4 oz) plain flour
- 30 g (1.1 oz) egg whites
- 15 g (0.5 oz) caster sugar
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, beat the softened butter and the 75 g (2.6 oz) of caster sugar together, then add the whole eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the ground hazelnuts and sifted flour.
3
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks with the 15 g (0.5 oz) of caster sugar until you have a smooth meringue consistency.
4
Gently fold the first mixture into the meringue using a spatula.
5
Spread the batter onto a Silpat baking mat placed on a baking tray, using an angled spatula to level it evenly.
6
Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut out a rectangle of sponge slightly smaller than the yule log mould (I cut 24×8 cm (3.1 in)).
Gianduja Crisp
Ingredients
- 6–7 small packets of dentelle crêpes (lace crêpes)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk gianduja
- 30 g (1.1 oz) crushed toasted hazelnuts
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
Melt the gianduja over a bain-marie.
2
Crumble the dentelle crêpes and mix in the toasted hazelnuts (pre-toasted for 10 minutes at 150°C / 300°F) and the pinch of fleur de sel.
3
Add the melted gianduja and mix everything together well.
4
Spread the gianduja crisp over the hazelnut sponge and refrigerate.
Vanilla Hazelnut Bavarian Mousse
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) ALPRO hazelnut plant-based milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 60 g (2.1 oz) egg yolks
- 40 g (1.4 oz) sugar
- 6 g (0.2 oz) leaf gelatine
- 250 g (8.8 oz) full-fat whipping cream
Method
1
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water.
2
Heat the hazelnut milk with the vanilla seeds and pod. Leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
3
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale.
4
Reheat the milk, then strain it through a sieve and pour it over the yolk and sugar mixture, stirring well. Return everything to the saucepan over medium heat.
5
Cook to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a spatula — do not let it boil.
6
Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed-out gelatine until dissolved. Leave to cool.
7
Whip the full-fat cream — do not over-whip; it should be light and mousse-like.
8
Once the custard has cooled to 40°C / 104°F, gently fold in the whipped cream and set aside.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Pour half of the vanilla hazelnut mousse into the yule log mould and spread it up the sides to ensure clean edges.
2
Remove the insert from the freezer and press it gently into the mousse, centred lengthways.
3
Cover with another layer of mousse (leave about 1 cm (0.4 in) of space at the top).
4
Finish with the sponge and gianduja crisp base (crisp side facing the mousse). Press down gently and smooth the surface with a spatula.
5
Cover with cling film and freeze for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
Decoration
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Remove the yule log from the freezer and unmould.
2
Place the frozen log on a wire rack set over a plate or dish to catch the excess glaze.
3
Warm the white glaze in the microwave to approximately 30–35°C / 95°F and pour it gently over the yule log to coat it completely.
4
Warm the brown glaze and transfer to a piping cone or small piping bag. Draw lines across the white glaze.
5
Lift the yule log off the rack and place on a serving dish.
6
Leave to thaw in the refrigerator — allow at least 5 to 6 hours for it to defrost completely.
Gallery
