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Yule Log

Author: Sarah Truesdell

Ingredients

For the cake

• 4 large eggs (6.5 fl. oz.)
• 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (66g) brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp (15ml) strong coffee or 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (70g)all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the cream filling

• 1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 oz mascarpone cheese, softened but still cool
• Chocolate variation: 2 tbsp cocoa powder, preferably dutch-processed

For the Ganache

• 6 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz.) heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F .
2. Spray a 1/2 sheet baking pan (about 17.5 x 12.5 inches) with cooking spray then line with parchment, so the parchment paper sticks. Spray parchment with cooking spray. Make sure parchment covers entire bottom of pan.
3. Separate the eggs, taking care to keep yolk out of the egg whites.
4. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Clean your attachments and bowl well, making sure there are no traces of grease. Beat the egg whites and granulated sugar together until stiff peaks form. Remove to a separate bowl and set aside. In the same mixer bowl (no need to clean it), beat the egg yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
5. Sift the flour, 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl bowl. Pour the melted butter and coffee/espresso powder into the egg yolk mixtures. Add the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites until completely combined. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those whites! Batter will be very light.
6. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. It will be a very thin layer. Smooth out the top. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top of the cake gently springs back when touched with your finger. Take care to not over-bake.
7. While the the cake is baking , place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin, flat-weave kitchen towel flat on the counter. Sprinkle with a light coating of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake. Starting with the narrow end, slowly and gently roll the cake up with the parchment/towel. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Place in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 2-3 hours.
8. Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up as you prepare the whipped cream.

Make the filling & fill the cake

1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add mascarpone (and cocoa if using), and whisk on medium high just until stiff peaks form. Take care to not over-whip. 
2. Slowly and gently unroll the cake. Spread cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. Carefully, and relatively snuggly, roll back up. Tug the towel away as you roll. Then roll onto a piece of pastic wrap and position so that the edge of the cake is tucked underneath. Chill thoroughly, 1-2 hours.

Make the ganache & decorate

1. Finely chop chocolate and place in a medium sized, heat proof bowl.
2. In a small pan, heat up cream and bring to just below a boil. Pour over chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for several minutes. Then stir gently until smooth.
3. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate for and hour. Ganache will thicken up considerably.
4. Remove rolled cake from the refrigerator. Diagonally slice a 3-4 inch section off one end. Place the cake on a serving platter and place the angled side against a side of the roll, forming a branch. Slowly pour and spread thickened ganache all over the top and sides of cake. Leave the cut ends exposed or spread ganache over the ends. Use a fork to make textured lines resembling tree bark. Clean up serving plate of ganaches smears and drips.
5. Decorate with meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries and rosemary, if desired.

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Meringue Mushrooms

Author: Sarah Truesdell

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup egg whites, from about 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar (or turbinado or brown sugar for a more complex flavor)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2.5 ounces finely chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare two piping bags by inserting a 1/4 inch round tip in one and 1/2 inch round tip in the other.
2. Craft a double boiler using the bowl of a stand mixer than can fit snuggly over a pot without touching the bottom, or find a heat proof bowl that you can use.
3. In the bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in the pot and place bowl over. Keep heat at a point that will keep the water simmering, but not boiling.  Whisk mixtures constantly until the sugar dissolved fully into the egg whites (temperature will be anywhere between 140-180F). 
4. Remove from heat.  If already using the stand mixer bowl, place bowl on mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  If not, use an electric hand mixer or scrape the egg-white mixture into your stand mixer bowl. 
5. Add salt and cream of tartar. Whisk on high until you reach stiff peaks. 
6. Fill piping bags. Pipe mushroom caps by holding the piping tip close to pan and piping cap.  Let it spread out wide for shitake-style caps.  Pull it up slightly for rounder caps.  After caps are piped, flatten peaks with a moistened finger. 
7. Pipe stems by piping merigue and pulling up so you have various heights of stems.  
8. Bake until meringues are dry to the touch and left off the papers (3-ish hours). Turn oven off and allow meringues to cool completely inside the oven. After cooling, turn oven on to 225F again and bake for another hour. 
9. After they have cooled, dust with cocoa and rub into caps and stems.
10. Temper chocolate or gently melt in the microwave. Spoon a little chocolate into the underside of a cap and attach a stem.  Prop up, cap side down, and let set.  If you have tempered the chocolate, you can set them at room temperature.  Untempered (or poorly tempered chocolate) will need to be set in refrigerator. 

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