Buche De Noel Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
• ½ vanilla bean
• 3 oz (85 g) white chocolate
• 0.12 tsp kosher salt

• 5 large eggs, separated
• 3 tbsp brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 4 oz (115 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 0.66 cup (140 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (20 g) cocoa powder for dusting
• ¼ cup (60 ml) hot brewed coffee
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (35 g) confectioners’ sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• ¼ cup (40 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or shaved chocolate, melted
• 1 cup (240 g) Ganache, at warm room temperature
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder for dusting
• A few fresh cranberries for making holly
• A few fresh rosemary sprigs for making holly

To Make the Filling (2 Days in Advance)
1. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds directly into the cream, and then toss in the pod halves. Heat the cream over medium-high heat until scalded; that is, just until little bubbles form along the sides of the pan. While the cream is heating, chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Pour the scalded cream over the white chocolate, let it stand for a minute or so, and whisk together until the chocolate is completely melted. Pour the mixture through the sieve into a small storage container, add the salt, and refrigerate overnight.
To Make the Cake (1 Day in Advance)
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and coat the parchment liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, coffee, chocolate, and salt; set aside. Using the stand mixer or a large bowl and the handheld mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes if using the stand mixer or 4 to 6 minutes if using the handheld mixer, or until soft peaks form. The whites will start to froth and turn into bubbles, and eventually the yellowy viscous part will disappear. Keep beating until you can see the tines of the whisk or beaters leaving a slight trail in the whites. To test for the soft-peak stage, stop the mixer and lift the whisk or beaters out of the whites; the whites should peak and then droop. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar a spoonful or two at a time. It should take at least 2 minutes to add all of the sugar go slowly! When all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until the whites are glossy and smooth and the peaks hold their shape without drooping. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the whites into the yolk-chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites just until no light streaks are visible. Finally, gently fold in the flour just until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet.
4. Using the offset spatula, carefully spread the batter evenly to cover the entire baking sheet. Concentrate on spreading the batter toward the corners and the edges of the pan; the center will be easier to fill once the edges are filled with batter. Don’t worry about the top being perfectly smooth; it is more important that the batter be spread evenly so that the cake is the same thickness throughout. Bake the cake, rotating the baking sheet back to front about halfway through baking, for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the top is firm and dry when you touch it. Let the cake cool in the pan on the wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the sides of the baking sheet. Using the sieve, dust the entire top surface of the cake with the cocoa powder. (The cocoa powder will prevent the cake from sticking when you unmold it.) Place a sheet of parchment slightly larger than the baking sheet on a work surface, and invert the cake directly onto the parchment. Let cool for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cool to the touch. Carefully peel off the parchment from the cake bottom.
To Make the Soaking Syrup (1 Day in Advance)
5. In a small bowl, mix together the coffee and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Using the pastry brush, brush the top surface of the cake evenly with the syrup.
7. Using the stand mixer, the handheld mixer, or a medium bowl and a whisk, whip the white chocolate filling until it holds stiff peaks. Spread it evenly over the cake, leaving a 1-in/2.5-cm border uncovered on all four edges. Starting at a narrow end, carefully roll the cake jelly-roll style, gently nudging the cake along until you have a neatly coiled roll. At this point, wrap the roll tightly and entirely in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until fully frozen, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
To Make the Meringue Mushrooms (1 Day in Advance)
8. Preheat the oven to 200°F/95°C, and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
9. Using the stand mixer or the handheld mixer and a medium bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes with the stand mixer or 3 to 4 minutes with the handheld mixer, or until soft peaks form. The whites will start to froth and turn into bubbles, and eventually the yellowy viscous part will disappear. Keep beating until you can see the tines of the whisk leaving a slight trail in the whites. To test for the soft-peak stage, stop the mixer and lift the whisk out of the whites; the whites should peak and then droop. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. When all of the granulated sugar has been incorporated into the egg whites, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 10 seconds longer.
10. In a small bowl, using the sieve, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the confectioners’ sugar mixture into the beaten egg whites.
11. Fit the pastry bag with the piping tip and fill the bag with the beaten egg whites. Pipe out eight to ten circles about 1½ in/4 cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 in/2.5 cm apart. These will be the tops of the mushrooms. Then pipe eight to ten small posts that look like elongated Hershey’s kisses onto the baking sheet. To do this, pipe a small mound, then lift the bag straight up as you ease off pressure on the meringue. These will be the stems of the mushrooms.
12. Bake the meringues for about 2 hours, or until they are firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and let them cool in the closed oven overnight.
13. The next day, remove the meringues from the oven. (At this point, the meringue mushroom tops and stems can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.) Place a sheet of parchment on a work surface. Remove a mushroom top from the baking sheet and, using the pastry brush, brush the underside with the melted chocolate. Using a paring knife, poke a hole in the middle of the underside of the top. Dip the top of a meringue stem into the chocolate and immediately poke the chocolate-coated tip into the hole to create a mushroom. Place the mushroom on the parchment. Repeat with the remaining mushroom tops and bottoms, adding them to the parchment.
To Finish the Cake (2 to 3 Hours Before Serving)
14. Remove the cake from the freezer and place it on a cutting board. Dip a chef’s knife in very hot water and trim about ½ in/12 mm off each end of the log. You should have a log about 10 in/25 cm long. With the knife at a 45-degree slant and at about 2 in/5 cm from the right end of the log, cut off a slanted piece of the cake. Your log will now be in two pieces, one stubby piece and one larger piece, each with one diagonal end. Trim off a thin, angled piece at the opposite end of the larger piece, so that both ends of the larger log are trimmed and slanted. This second short piece is extra, and you can eat it. Carefully transfer the larger piece of cake to a serving plate or platter.
15. Using some of the softened ganache, dab a bit on the flat end of the stubby piece of cake and place the stubby piece, flat-end down, on top of the larger piece of cake, positioning it about one third of the way (2 to 3 in/5 to 7.5 cm) from the right end. The pointed slanted part of the stubby piece will be facing upward. Let the cake sit for about 1 hour, or until it has thawed.
16. When the cake is fully thawed, warm up the remaining ganache (pop it into the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or place it over hot water for a few minutes) so that it is easily spreadable. Using the offset spatula, completely cover the cake with a layer of ganache, taking care to cover fully the gap between the stubby piece on top of the log and the log. Leave the exposed spiral ends of the log uncovered to show off the inner spiral of the cake. Using the comb, lightly scrape wavy lines along the length of the log and the stub to mimic the natural bark of a log. Using the sieve, dust the meringue mushrooms with the cocoa powder to mimic dirt. Place the  mushrooms at various spots along the log, and arrange the rosemary sprigs and cranberries together in a few clusters along the log to mimic branches of holly. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.