The final part of my Holiday Baking trilogy!
Christmas Yule Log with Meringue Mushrooms!
Serves 20
The Meringue Mushrooms were made from this swiss meringue recipe:
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp of cocoa powder
3 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate
1 oz melted white chocolate (optional)
Fill saucepan with 2 inches of water; bring to a simmer. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Combine, using a hand-held wire whisk. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; continue to whisk.
Whisk constantly until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Add Vanilla and transfer the bowl to mixer and whip, using the whisk attachment, on high speed until whites are glossy and stand in stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted, about 3 minutes. Then add the cocoa powder and fold in with a spatula.
Then just pipe the meringue into the mushroom stems and the mushroom tops. Like this:
Bake for 2 hours on a preheated oven 225 degrees F.
Let the mushrooms cool and spread the melted chocolate on the bottoms of the tops. Use that to glue the stem and tops together. Chill the mushrooms so the chocolate hardens and you're done!
Red Velvet Cake:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
8 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup canola oil
50 ml red food colorring
4 tsp white vinagre
Place rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and butter.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks and sugar with electric mixer until the mixture whitens and triples in volume or (10 to 15 minutes). While mixing at medium speed, add oil, red dye and vinegar.
Sift dry ingredients over egg mixture gently and incorporating. Spread on cookie cheets and spread evenly. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto a parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and cool completely.
To assemble the log, place the cakes on parchment paper next to one another and fill each with Caramel Cream (Recipe Below). Then roll the cakes as if its one long sheet. Then wrap the log in a clean dish towel and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Once the log has chilled, cut it diagonally to create branches.
Frost with Italian Meringue (Recipe also Below).
Add the Mushrooms and you have a fabulous Buche de Noel!
Caramel Cream:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse salt
Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves, washing down sides of pan often with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until sugar turns dark amber, 5 to 7 minutes more. Immediately remove from heat, and carefully whisk in 1 cup cream. Return to medium heat, and cook until sugar melts completely and mixture boils.
Remove from heat, and pour into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Let caramel cool, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Stir in creme fraiche (or sour cream), vanilla, and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
Just before using, beat remaining 1 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into caramel sauce, using a rubber spatula, until incorporated. Whisk to thicken, about 1 minute.
Italian Meringue:
Ingredients:
¼ cup water
1 ½ cup cugar
½ cup light corn syrup
6 egg whites
In a bowl, whisk the egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In a saucepan, bring water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Boil until a candy thermometer reads 235 ° F Remove from heat.
Gradually add boiling syrup to egg whites, whisking. (The whites will swell and a little steam will emerge when you add the hot sugar). Continue to whisk for 10 to 15 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
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