Recipe n°35: Christmas log with chocolate and almonds

Unmissable on the evening of December 25, we couldn't talk about Noël Benoit without offering you an Yule log easy recipe! Despite appearances, it is not so difficult to make and it appeals to young and old alike!

By the way, do you know why it's called "Christmas log"? The origin of this term is linked to the winter solstice. For the longest night of the year, it was customary at the time to place a huge log (often oak or from a fruit tree) in the hearth of the fireplace, so let it burn overnight. As an offering, a little wine or oil was poured into it. Traditionally, this task fell to the eldest and the youngest of the house, as a sign of family and transmission. The embers (remains of pieces of wood partially burnt) were kept, they were then burned in the event of a hard blow or to thwart bad luck. And it was at the end of 1800 that the invention of a cake in the shape of a log to be served at Christmas time was its appearance. There you go, now you know why we eat yule logs at Christmas!

This week, we show you how to make a Christmas log. And you'll see that, despite appearances, it's far from difficult!

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 125 grams of flour
• 125 grams of coconut sugar Feed Me Up
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for the dark chocolate ganache:

• 250ml full cream
• 250 grams of dark pastry chocolate
• 50 grams of Coconut Oil Essence Box

Decoration:

• 10 caramel dark chocolate coated almonds ! Krush
• Icing sugar

Steps :

Prepare the ganache:

• Heat the whole cream with the coconut oil.
• Break the chocolate into pieces and incorporate it into the cream, mix with a whisk and, off the heat, use a mixer to whip up the ganache.
• When the ganache is firmer put it in the fridge.

Prepare the sponge cake:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Separate the whites from the yolks.
• Mix the yolks with the coconut sugar.
• Add flour and salt.
• Whip the egg whites, and gently fold the egg whites into the preparation.
• Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes depending on the oven.
• When it comes out of the oven, turn the sponge cake over onto a new baking sheet, place a very damp cloth on the sponge cake and roll up the biscuit. Leave to cool a little.

Even if this part scares you, it doesn't have to be complicated. This is an important step so that the sponge cake holds together well and does not break when rolling it.

Mounting :

• Take out the ganache to be able to work it more easily.
• Crush the almonds using a glass or a mortar and pestle.
• Unroll the sponge cake, leaving the tea towel underneath.
• Spread the ganache evenly over the sponge cake using a rubber spatula.
• Sprinkle the ganache with almonds.
• Roll the biscuit again without pressing it too much. To roll it evenly, use the kitchen towel.
• Put the rest of the ganache on top, sprinkle with icing sugar.
• Put in the fridge.

For this recipe, we used dark chocolate, but you can also use milk chocolate, praline, etc. For an original Yule log, let your imagination run wild.

Chocolate and almond Christmas log. Serving suggestion.

Did you like this recipe? (us too) Do not hesitate to give your suggestions in the comments and share the recipe on social networks.