With less than 10 days to go until Christmas Eve, here’s a new Yule log recipe. So there’s still time to practise making it for the big day. I hurried to put it on the blog, given that it was a big hit on Facebook.
It’s the first time I’ve made a Yule log without the traditional flavours of chocolate, praline or caramel. Even though it’s no longer red berry season, they’re still easy to find at the supermarket, so I let myself be tempted by the vanilla and red berry pairing.
I made this vanilla and red berry Yule log for an early Christmas meal with friends last Sunday. And whoaa, it was really delicious! Everyone loved it, those with a sweet tooth but also those who aren’t big fans of desserts. It’s light and not very sweet, perfect for ending a hearty festive meal!
I’d thought about the different layers in advance, since I’d already made a vanilla red berry Yule log with a friend a few weeks ago. But a few changes were needed (it was a vanilla mousse with a red berry jelly insert only). This time, I preferred to add an extra texture, the crémeux, and to use less fruit compote. I also discovered the joconde sponge (I took inspiration from the recipe on the blog Un déjeuner de soleil). It’s a wonderfully soft sponge with a lovely almond taste!
As for the look of the Yule log, I’m not entirely satisfied, but I did, let’s say, save the day! Actually, I wanted to keep a few red berries for the decoration, but when it came to making my red berry purée, I completely forgot and blended everything :O So I made do with what I had (and I had a small sprig of redcurrants left that I’d put in the freezer, just in case!). The mirror glaze isn’t a success, first because I didn’t manage to get the red colour I wanted, and then because it’s full of nasty, unsightly bubbles. It wasn’t opaque enough either, and I had to glaze the Yule log twice to make sure the vanilla mousse underneath didn’t show through too much.
There you go, it’s a dessert that requires a little time and organisation, but nothing too difficult, and you can spread the work over several days to make it. Go for it, it’s delicious.
Ingredients & method
7 components · Full recipe
Red Mirror Glaze (can be made ahead)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) caster sugar
- 150 g (5.3 oz) glucose syrup
- 75 g (2.6 oz) water
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsweetened condensed milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
- 10 g (0.4 oz) powdered gelatine
- 60 g (2.1 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- red food colouring with a tiny touch of black (without the black, I ended up with pink)
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 water.
3
In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar and glucose and heat to 103°C / 217°F.
4
Meanwhile, in a jug, place the white chocolate cut into pieces, the unsweetened condensed milk, the rehydrated gelatine and the food colourings.
5
When the sugar/glucose/water mixture reaches 103°C / 217°F, pour it into the jug, then blend with a hand blender until smooth — take care not to incorporate air into the glaze, as this will create unsightly bubbles.
6
If needed, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside in the refrigerator.
Red Berry Cremeux (to be made the day before)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) red berry purée
- 35 g (1.2 oz) caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
- 3 g (0.1 oz) gelatine
Method
1
Soak the gelatine in a large quantity of very cold water.
2
In a saucepan, gently heat half the red berry purée.
3
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.
4
Pour the warm red berry purée over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stir well, then return everything to the heat.
5
Cook to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a spatula. Take care not to let the mixture boil.
6
Remove from the heat and add the well-drained gelatine.
7
Add the remaining red berry purée and stir (this helps preserve the vibrant colour, as the purée loses colour during heating).
8
When the temperature has dropped to approximately 60°C / 140°F, incorporate the butter cut into pieces.
9
Blend until smooth with a hand blender.
10
Pour into a yule log insert mould and place in the freezer.
Red Berry Compote (to be made the day before)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) red berry purée
- 35 g (1.2 oz) caster sugar
- 2 g (0.1 oz) pectin
- a little lime juice
- a little vanilla powder
Method
1
In a saucepan, gently heat half the red berry purée.
2
Mix together the sugar and pectin, then add to the pan along with the vanilla powder and lime juice. Whisk everything together and bring to the boil.
3
Remove from the heat and add the remaining red berry purée.
4
Allow the compote to cool slightly before pouring it over the red berry cremeux. Return to the freezer.
Joconde Sponge
Ingredients
- 120 g (4.2 oz) egg whites
- 20 g (0.7 oz) caster sugar
- 200 g (7.1 oz) whole eggs
- 25 g (0.9 oz) flour
- 25 g (0.9 oz) cornstarch
- 160 g (5.6 oz) ground almonds
- 160 g (5.6 oz) icing sugar
- 30 g (1.1 oz) melted butter
- a pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar. Set aside.
3
Mix the icing sugar with the ground almonds and fleur de sel. Sift together.
4
Whisk the whole eggs for a few minutes, then add the sifted almond-sugar mixture. Mix well.
5
Add the melted butter and mix.
6
Sift the flour and cornstarch together, then fold into the previous mixture. Stir to combine.
7
Finally, gently fold in the whisked egg whites using a spatula to obtain a smooth, even batter.
8
Pour the batter onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread to a thickness of approximately 1 cm (I spread all my batter on a 38 × 29 cm (11.4 in) tray — the sponge was quite thick but suited me perfectly. You can decide whether you prefer a slightly thinner sponge; if so, use 2 baking trays).
9
Bake for approximately 10 minutes (watch carefully — I left mine slightly longer than needed). The batter should turn golden and feel springy to the touch.
10
Once out of the oven, leave the sponge to cool on a wire rack.
11
Cut one large rectangle to fit the yule log mould and one narrower one for the insert (I cut a 25 × 9 cm (3.5 in) rectangle and another measuring 23 × 4 cm (1.6 in). I cut and froze the rest for a future yule log).
12
Cover the sponge with cling film until ready to use.
Vanilla Bavarian Mousse
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) milk
- 2 vanilla pods
- 60 g (2.1 oz) egg yolks
- 40 g (1.4 oz) caster sugar
- 6 g (0.2 oz) gelatine
- 250 g (8.8 oz) full-fat whipping cream
Method
1
Soak the gelatine sheets in very cold water.
2
Heat the milk with the vanilla seeds and pods. Leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
3
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.
4
Bring the milk back to the boil, then strain it through a sieve over the egg yolk and sugar mixture; stir well and return everything to the heat.
5
Cook to 85°C / 185°F, stirring constantly with a spatula. Take care not to let the cream boil.
6
Remove from the heat and add the well-drained gelatine. Leave to cool.
7
Whip the whipping cream, but do not over-whip — it should remain light and mousse-like.
8
When the custard has cooled to 45°C / 113°F, gently fold in the whipped cream, then set aside.
Assembling the Vanilla and Red Berry Yule Log
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Line a yule log mould with acetate sheet or, if you do not have any, with baking paper (I use a silicone mould, so no acetate needed).
2
Pour the vanilla Bavarian mousse into the mould (to halfway up). Chill for 5 minutes.
3
Remove the cremeux and red berry jelly insert from the freezer and gently press it into the mousse. Add the second rectangle of sponge and press down gently.
4
Cover with another layer of mousse.
5
Finish with the Joconde sponge. Press lightly to embed the sponge. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
6
Cover with cling film and place in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours, ideally overnight.
Decoration
Ingredients
- caramelised chips (Vahiné)
- coloured sugar pearls
- a few white chocolate shavings
- a few red berries
Method
1
Remove the dessert from the freezer and unmould it.
2
Place the frozen dessert on a wire rack, with the rack resting on a plate or tray to catch the excess glaze.
3
Warm the mirror glaze to approximately 30°C / 86°F and pour it gently to coat the dessert completely.
4
Lift the dessert off the rack and place it on a serving dish.
5
Decorate the yule log as desired.
6
Leave to defrost in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 5 to 6 hours’ defrosting time as a minimum. On the last photo, the mould used is the “Stone” mould from CuisineShop.
Gallery
