French Food Friday...Buche de Noel

photo and recipe from here


Bonjour mes belles,

I hope that you are having a fabulous week in the run up to Christmas, not many sleeps to go now.

This week's recipe is a personal favourite of mine, simple and very yummy.

Buche de Noel

Serves: 6-8

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Prep Time: 50 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

• melted butter, for greasing
• 175g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
• 75g plain flour, plus extra for dredging
• 20g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa
• 125ml double cream
• 175g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
• 50g melted chocolate, plus extra for drizzling
• 6-7 holly leaves
• icing sugar, for dusting

 

Method

1. First make the holly leaves to decorate the cake. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of very gently simmering water. Stir a couple of times until smooth. Using a small paintbrush, coat the non-shiny sides of the holly leaves with the mixture. Leave to set, then paint on another two coats. Chill until set.
2. Heat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan oven) gas mark 6. Brush a 33cm x 23cm Swiss roll tin with melted butter. Line with baking parchment and grease the paper. Dredge with caster sugar, then flour. Knock out any excess.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together three times until they are thoroughly combined. Set aside.
4. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the sugar until the mixture leaves a trail for a few seconds. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a large metal spoon – don’t over-mix or you will lose valuable air but make sure there are no pockets of flour. Fold in the coffee liqueur.
5. Gently pour the mixture into the prepared tin, checking for any pockets of flour as you do so. Lightly level the surface and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges shrink away from the tin.
6. Lay a damp tea towel on the work surface followed by a sheet of baking parchment. Dredge the paper with caster sugar. Carefully turn the cake out onto the paper. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then carefully peel away the top baking parchment. Trim the crusty edges. Make a small nick 2cm from the edge of one short end at each side of the Swiss roll. Roll up from the short end with the paper still inside. Transfer to a wire rack, seam-side down, to cool.
7. To make the ganache, put the cream in a small pan and bring to the boil (this is important). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Leave to melt, stirring a couple of times, until smooth. Set aside until the chocolate is at room temperature.
8. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a free-standing mixer (or use electric beaters) and beat with the ‘K’ beater on a medium speed until it is thickened and lighter in colour – do not overbeat as you want it to be soft and fluffy. Beat in the coffee liqueur.
9. Unroll the Swiss roll and spread the ganache over. Roll up tightly again and place seam-side down on a board – don’t worry if it cracks, as this will add to the log effect.
10. Using a teaspoon, drizzle melted chocolate from side to side across the log. Peel the holly from the chocolate leaves, arranging them on top of the cake. When the drizzled chocolate has set, dust the log with icing sugar.

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann