The Daring Baker's Challenge: French Yule Log

Happy holidays everyone! December's Daring Bakers Challenge was to bake a turkey...

Wait... wait... I got confused there for a minute... It was something from France....

Ah, yes... to read and report on Jacque Pepin's The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen (which actually is an excellent read!).

Well, reading a book about a chef baking is not the same as actually doing the baking, so on with the festivities. ;)

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

According to our gracious hosts, the French can choose from two types of yule log for their celebratory ritual -- either a traditional butter cream variety or a frozen variety similar to an ice cream cake but made of a frozen mousse instead.

The New York Times had a story about the traditional butter cream yule log, some featuring LED lights and dustings of 22-karat gold and running hundreds of dollars.

Gentle readers, rest assured, my yule log of the entremets variety will not light up -- unless you count the fire that I started on the stove while melting the chocolate -- and doesn't sparkle. In fact, I don't think it will even stand straight.

I started this definitely challenging challenge two days ago, with the intentions to have it complete and ready Monday. Unfortunately, time caught up with me and my entremet sits in the freezer in its first phase.

Sunday

The only thing that went right for me with this recipe was the procuring of ingredients. I was able to find medium egss and almond meal locally! I even found overhead transparencies to line my mold!

My plan was to have the following layers:

1) Dacquoise Biscuit made with Almond Meal
2) Dark Chocolate Mousse
3) Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert
4) Praline (Crisp) Insert
5) Vanilla Creme Brulee Insert
6) Dark Chocolate Icing

I started off making the dacquoise biscuit. It was really straightforward and simple. My plans were to use a loaf pan to build my yule log.

Then, I started making the dark chocolate mousse. I got concerned about the gelatin. I was afraid that making the chocolate mousse with the gelatin without having the components ready would result in disaster, as there were warnings in the other compononts containing gelatin to not prepare it too soon or else it would harden and not be usable.

I stopped making the dark chocolate mousse after making the pate a bombe, whip cream and melting the chocolate.

I then realized that the creme brulee would be the component needing the most preparation and cooking time. I knew then that I would not be able to complete the yule log Sunday.

I made the creme brulee according to the recipe provided. Usually when I make creme brulee, it involves no stovetop cooking, no vanilla bean and lots of yolks. Because of this, I didn't think the creme brulee was thick enough or cooked enough after the first hour of cooking and cooked it an additional hour. After the two hours, I put it in the freezer. I didn't realize the surface I placed it on was not flat, so I now have crooked creme brulee. My yule log will be crooked. YIKES!

While the cream was infusing, I started making the praline feuillete . I made the lace crepes and had to cook them longer than what was indicated. I don't think I spread my batter out thin enough, but then the batter was very hard to spread. I had no lumps in it, but it was stiff. I had to roast my hazlenuts, which was as far as I got with the praline recipe.

Tuesday

After a day of not feeling well and 12 hours of sleep, I knew I had to make more progress tonight.

I started on the praline again, making the sugar syrup and coating the nuts. Upon returning from a lovely sushi dinner with my husband, I finished the praline feuillete. When melting the chocolate, my burner caught fire, so I had to stop the process and smother the flames. With everything extinguished, I mixed the praline and lace crepe with the chocolate, spread it and popped it in the refridgerator.

I then re-melted the chocolate that I started Sunday night and finished the chocolate mousse. I started to pipe it in the mold, but that didn't work out too well, so I resorted to plopping and spreading.

My crooked creme brulee ensconced in the chocolate mousse.

I then cut the praline feuillete a little smaller than my mold. When I cut it, it fell apart. I placed the pieces on top of the chocolate mousse.

The confection is now in the freezer. I'm calling it a night. I will make the ganache in the morning and place that insert and the dacquoise biscuit on top and back in the freezer and will ice it Thursday.

Thanks, Hilda and Marion, for this truly challenging challenge! I do plan on making this again when I have a few days to devote to it! I think it would be great in a lemon flavor!

Stay tuned... an update and pictures of the crooked yule log in the next couple of days!