A Yule Log to make at home by Bruno Tenailleau (first prize winner of the international dessert prize).
To end a wonderful Christmas dinner, when everyone has had their fill, there is nothing like a light dessert. This year, I am offering you a mousse sponge with caramel apples and chocolate.
Preparation - Sponge
prepare a sponge mixture and spread it in a thin layer on some baking paper that has been brushed with melted butter. Put it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 200°C and keep an eye on it as the sponge is quite thin! Once golden, allow it to cool on a wire tray off the baking tray.
- Apples
Cut 3 Royal Gala apples into small cubes. Cook them in 50 g of butter without adding sugar or allowing them to change colour. Put to one side.
- Vanilla cream: ¼ of a litre of milk, 125 g of sugar, 5 egg yolks. (See
my recipe
).
- Caramel
Put 60 g of sugar to cook in a saucepan with no water! When the sugar has turned blond, stop the cooking by plunging the base of the pan in cold water.
- Mousse
You will need: the vanilla cream, 5 sheets of gelatine, 750 g of whipped cream, the caramel and 2 good pinches of salt.
In the warm cream, incorporate the melted gelatine, the cold caramel and the salt. Add the whipped cream with a whisk.
Putting the log together To avoid any accidents when removing from the mould, put cling film in the mould and fold any excess over the sides. Your log will be flexible and you can pull up the film to remove it. Line the base and walls of the mould with sponge that you can trim at the edges. Add half the mousse and spread the apples before adding the rest of the mouse without going all the way to the top to keep the thickness of the sole that you will need to close your log. Before closing, tap the mould to pack it down. Close the film and leave to chill overnight.
Tender chocolate coating 100 g of chocolate, 100 g of butter, 100 g of icing sugar and 2 cl of milk.
Remove the log from its tray and place it on a baking mat. Heat the milk and butter in a pan to melt. Add the icing sugar and melted chocolate. Mix gently and leave to cool. Do not use a spatula to coat. Pour it from above, starting in the middle. Go to one corner, then to the other, and end in the middle. The chocolate will spread by itself.
Tip: to cut your log into nice pieces, use a serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water.
