This chestnut Christmas log holds its secret of the Cévenol country where it is said frequently that the chestnuts have traveled the time to offer us their flavor. Imagine a mousse with chestnut cream, truffled with golden raisins macerated with drak rum, accompanied by a thin layer of chocolate ganache, all adorned with a hazelnut biscuit, what a treat !
Chestnut Christmas Log
Equipment
- Christmas log mold 35 cm (length) x 9 cm (width) x 6.5 cm (height)
Ingredients
Hazelnut cookie :
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 70 g caster sugar
- 70 g cake flour
- 50 g hazelnut meal
Dark chocolate ganache :
- 150 g dark chocolate 64% cocoa
- 150 g whole liquid cream
Chestnut mousse :
- 350 g chestnut cream
- 3 gelatin leaves 2 g each
- 300 g whipping cream
- 100 g golden raisins macerated in dark rum
Rum syrup :
- 150 g caster sugar
- 15 cl water
- 3 cl dark rum
Instructions
- To make this chestnut Christmas log recipe, start by making the syrup because it needs to cool. Mix the sugar with the water and bring everything to a boil.
- Breaking the eggs in the mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and the sugar. Whip everything so that the mixture whitens and becomes smooth.
- Meanwhile, mix the ground hazelnuts with the sifted flour.
- When the egg mixture is mounted, fold in the hazelnut and flour mixture in two times while mixing gently.
- Spread the cookie out on a baking sheet covering a baking paper. Use the edges to help you achieve an even thickness. Finish by running your finger all around.
- The cookie sheet is larger than what you need for today, but it is easier to make a larger quantity to obtain a very good result.
- We will bake this hazelnut cookie in a preheated oven at 190 ° C for about 12 minutes while monitoring the cooking.
- For the chocolate ganache, pour the hot liquid cream over the chocolate then mix with a spatula. Let cool to get a creamy consistency.
- For the golden raisins, let them macerate in rum several days in advance, then on D-day, you just need to drain them well.
- For the chestnut mousse, start by softening the gelatin in a bowl of cold water.
- During this time, heat the chestnut cream to around 50 ° C, then incorporate the squeezed gelatin. Mix with a whisk, then let cool.
- Whip the cream into a whipped cream, having taken care to put the electric mixer bowl, the whisk and the cream in the refrigerator at least an hour in advance so that all the elements are very cold.
- Finish the chestnut mousse by incorporating a little whipped cream into the chestnut cream with a whisk in order to relax it.
- Then fold in the rest of the whipped cream delicately to keep the volume. Finish by incorporating the grapes macerated in rum using a spatula.
- For this chestnut Christmas log, I use a log gutter 35 cm long by 9 cm wide. Garnish with chestnut mousse up to 1.5 cm from the top of the mold.
- Remove the paper from the hazelnut cookie, then cut a cookie strip to cover the chestnut mousse.
- Soak it with a syrup brush in which we add 3 cl of rum. Press with the palm of the hand to have a straight surface.
- Whisk the ganache to aerate it, then spread a layer of chocolate ganache using a palette. The thickness should be uniform.
- Finish with a strip of biscuit by pressing on it using a grid to have a very straight surface. Soak it too with rum syrup.
- Place this chestnut Christmas log in the freezer for about 6 hours so that it is completely set.
- For the finish, I use flaky glitter, it is in fact the “lace pancakes” that you find in the trade, that you break to obtain this result.
- After freezing, heat the mold log christmas using a small torch if possible, then remove the mold to reveal the chestnut Christmas log.
- Cover the surface of the log with flaky glitter, pressing a little to make it stick, then move it to a gold cardboard stand or presentation tray.
- Cut off the ends with a knife dipped in hot water and then wiped dry. Finish by dusting lightly with icing sugar, then place 3 candied chestnuts on top of the chestnut Christmas log.
- Leave the log for 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator so that it is thawed in the heart before eating it.
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