Scrumptious yule log

Chocolate hazelnut spread, maraschino cherries & a sweet creamy filling

Scrumptious yule log

Scrumptious yule log

Serves Serves 16
Time Cooks In45 minutes plus setting time
DifficultyNot too tricky
Nutrition per serving Plus
  • Calories 458 23%
  • Fat 34.2g 49%
  • Saturates 16.9g 85%
  • Sugars 30.2g 34%
  • Salt 0.3g 5%
  • Protein 5.3g 11%
  • Carbs 34.5g 13%
  • Fibre 1g -
Of an adult's reference intake
Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas

By Jamie Oliver
Tap For Method

Ingredients

  • SPONGE
  • 4 large free-range eggs
  • 75 g icing sugar
  • 75 g self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • CHOCOLATE SPREAD
  • 350 g blanched hazelnuts
  • 350 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • BUTTERCREAM
  • 150 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)
  • 150 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature)
  • 150 g icing sugar
  • FILLING
  • 300 ml double cream
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 10 maraschino cherries , plus a tablespoon of juice from the jar
  • 1 clementine
  • TOPPING
  • icing sugar
  • desiccated coconut
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Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas

By Jamie Oliver
Tap For Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4, and line a 25cm x 35cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  2. To make the sponge, first separate the eggs. Then, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of sea salt. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar, then, one-by-one, whisk in the egg yolks until really pale and light. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, add the vanilla bean paste, then fold everything together with a large metal spoon, so you keep in as much air as possible.
  3. Spoon the batter into the lined tray, then gently and evenly spread it out. Scatter the hazelnuts on a separate tray and bake both for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sponge is just cooked through and springy to the touch.
  4. While it’s still hot and soft, turn out the sponge onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper (35cm x 45cm) on a flat surface. Peel off and discard the baked piece of greaseproof. With one of the longest sides in front of you, fold over the excess paper, then roll up the sponge with the paper inside (as it cools, this will set the shape but prevent the sponge from cracking). Leave to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter for the hazelnut spread with a big pinch of sea salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
  6. Once cool, blitz most of the toasted hazelnuts to a completely smooth paste, then mix into the melted chocolate and butter. Put one half of the mixture into a jar for another day (see tip), pour the remainder into a tin or bowl, then pop both into the fridge for 2 hours to set.
  7. For the filling, whisk the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. To assemble, unroll the sponge so it’s flat, removing the paper. Spread the hazelnut chocolate spread all over and up to the edges, then repeat with the cream. Along one long edge, dot on the cherries and drizzle over a tablespoon of the juices from the jar, then grate on the clementine zest. Re-roll the sponge and pop into the fridge.
  8. Meanwhile, make your buttercream. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove and leave to cool. Beat the butter in an electric mixer until pale, then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the icing sugar and cooled melted chocolate.
  9. Take the log out of the fridge, chop off a quarter at an angle – that’s the branch – and position it on your serving board like in the picture, using a splodge of buttercream to keep it in place. Evenly cover the whole log with buttercream, then use a fork to decorate it. Blitz up the reserved hazelnuts and dust them on top, along with some desiccated coconut, then decorate with plastic Bambi figures, whatever you like – go to town!

Tips

If you want to get ahead, you can make the sponge a day or two in advance and keep it in an air-tight container until you’re ready to decorate. Once assembled, it will keep fresh for up to 2 days – best stored in the fridge.

If you’re planning to give this as a gift, please advise the lucky recipient to keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed for maximum freshness.

You can use the hazelnut chocolate spread to make truffles. Simply scoop a spoonful of the cold hazelnut mixture and roll it in desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, crushed nuts, your favourite blitzed chocolate bar – or anything else you fancy. Decorate with melted white chocolate drizzled on with a cocktail stick, if you like. Then package up in pretty tins and give to lucky friends or family. Or, for an even easier idea, simply gift the jar to someone you love.

Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas

By Jamie Oliver