To be fair Christmas Log was never a large part of my childhood memories – I did not discover the delight of a christmas log cake until I was in my early twenties. My family always had a fairly small selecton – christmas pudding, sherry triffle or fruit salad! Always the same, every single year.
I do love all three but sometimes it would have been nice to vary it from year to year – but variety was never the source of pleasure with my family, provided it came in vast quantities they were happy to eat the same thing over and over again! I adore chocolate log, especially filled with a rich chestnut cream.
Ingredients
* 100g good quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, broken up
* 50g unsalted butter, diced
* 435g unsweetened Chestnut puree
* 75g golden caster sugar
* 100g thick double cream
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting
* 1 large egg
* 75g icing sugar, sifted
* 100ml full-cream Milk & 50ml single cream
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 25g plain flour
* 90g unsalted butter, softened
* icing sugar, for dusting
Method
1. To make the filling for the log, place the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and gently melt them, stirring now and again until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Place the chestnut puree, sugar, cream and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until creamy. Add the chocolate mixture and blend into a silky puree: this should be the consistency of whipped butter icing, firm enough to pile into a log. If it seems too loose, chill it until it firms up sufficiently to shape.
3. Next you need a plate or stand for the log, a minimum of 30cm long. Pile the chocolate-chestnut mixture along its length and shape into a log about 20cm long. Don´t worry about the bark effect at this point. Chill until set.
4. To make the snowy frosting, whisk the egg and icing sugar together in a small non-stick saucepan until smooth and then whisk in the flour.
5. Bring the milk & single cream to the boil and whisk it into the egg mixture. Cook the custard gently until it thickens, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to disperse any lumps that form. Do not boil, but the odd bubble will ensure its hot enough to thicken properly. Allow to simmer for a few minutes longer, stirring constantly. Pass the custard through a sieve into a bowl, stir in the vanilla, cover with cling film and leave to cool.
6. Beat the softened butter in a bowl until light and creamy. If it is on the hard side, cream it in a food processor. Using a hand-held electric whisk, gradually mix in the cooled custard, then whisk for another few minutes on a low speed to begin with and then on a higher one, until the mixture is white and fluffy.
7. Using a palette knife, smooth this mixture over the surface of the log. Run the prongs of a fork along its length to simulate the bark and smooth the ends. Decorate as you fancy, and liberally dust with icing sugar using a tea strainer.
8. Loosely cover the log with cling film and chill for another few hours before serving. It will keep well for several days, and is at its best after it has been out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.