BÛche De NoËl Filling Frosting Marzipan Mushrooms Food

BUCHE DE NOEL

Steps:

• To make the buttercream: Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.
• Turn the genoise layer over and peel away the paper. Invert onto a fresh piece of paper. Spread the layer with half the buttercream. Use the paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder Transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Reserve the remaining buttercream for the outside of the buche.
• To make the marzipan: Combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of the electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until the sugar is almost absorbed. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary; the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly. Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.
• To make marzipan mushrooms: Roll 1/3 of the marzipan into a 6-inch long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths. Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms. Smudge with cocoa powder. To make holly leaves: Knead green color into 1/2 the remaining marzipan and roll it into a long cylinder. Flatten with the back of a spoon, then loosen it from the surface with a spatula. Cut into diamonds to make leaves, or use a cutter.
• To make holly berries: Knead red color into a tiny piece of marzipan. Roll into tiny balls.
• To make pine cones, knead cocoa powder into the remaining marzipan. Divide in half and form into 2 cone shapes. Slash the sides of cones with the points of a pair of scissors.
• Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end. Position the larger cut piece on the buche about 2/3 across the top. Cover the buche with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump. Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark. Transfer the buche to a platter and decorate with the marzipan. Sprinkle the platter and buche sparingly with confectioners' sugar "snow."
• Storage: Keep at cool room temperature. Cover leftovers loosely and keep at room temperature.
• Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
• Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees (test with your finger). Attach the bowl to the mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume.
• While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa.
• Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until well risen, deep and firm to the touch. (Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become too dry, or it will be hard to roll.)
• Use a small paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack and let the cake cool right side up on the paper. Remove the paper when the cake is cool.
• Storage: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several days, or double-wrap and freeze for up to a month.

BûCHE DE NOëL WITH MARZIPAN MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For filling:
• Bring milk to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in small bowl until well blended; whisk in flour. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to processor; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Add marzipan; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in butter 1 piece at a time, then both extracts. Cover and refrigerate filling at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt in large metal bowl. Set bowl over pot of simmering water. Whisk until just warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over; fold in until just combined. Gently fold in butter (do not overmix, or batter will deflate). Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over towel. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Turn hot cake out onto towel. Peel off parchment. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, gently roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool. Unroll cake. Spread filling over. Reroll cake; place cake, seam side down, on platter. Refrigerate cake while preparing frosting.
• For frosting:
• Bring cream and butter to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until melted. Transfer to medium bowl. Let cool at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 1 hour.
• Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut on diagonal to remove one 3-inch-long piece of cake from each end. Attach 1 cake piece at sides of cake near each end. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake and pieces. Using tines of fork, draw concentric circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings. Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design. Garnish with Marzipan Mushrooms.

BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• Mushrooms and buttercream:
• Preheat oven to 225°F. Whisk egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water) until egg whites are very liquid (mixture will be warm to the touch) and sugar is dissolved (rub between your fingers to check), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form (bowl will feel cool), about 5 minutes.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Scoop out 1 cup meringue. Dollop heaping teaspoonfuls of meringue onto prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1 1/2" apart.
• Lightly dust meringue with more cocoa powder and place a sheet of parchment over top. Use an offset spatula or your hands to flatten meringue into irregularly shaped disks about 1/8" thick. Bake until lightly browned and parchment peels away easily, 75-90 minutes (meringue will be soft when it first comes out of the oven but will dry and crisp as it cools).
• Meanwhile, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter into remaining meringue, adding a piece at a time and waiting until incorporated before adding more. Beat until mixture is very smooth. (If it looks very loose or curdled, just keep beating; buttercream will come back together.) Add vanilla extract and scrape in vanilla seeds; beat to combine.
• Do Ahead
• Mushrooms and buttercream can be made 2 days ahead. Store mushrooms airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill buttercream; bring to room temperature, then beat until smooth before using.
• Sponge Cake:
• Increase oven to 400°F. Coat a 26x18" rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Spray parchment. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅓ cup cocoa powder in a small bowl.
• Bring milk, butter, oil, vanilla, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, beat eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Increase speed to high; beat until doubled in volume. With motor running, gradually add sugar; beat until very light and fluffy and mixture falls back on itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon (it should be at least quadrupled in volume), about 5 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium and gradually stream in milk mixture. Sift one-third of dry ingredients over top; gently fold in until only a few streaks remain. Working in 2 additions, repeat with remaining dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl and using as few strokes as possible to keep eggs from deflating (a few streaks are fine). Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and gently spread to edges of pan. Tap sheet lightly on counter to pop any large air bubbles.
• Bake cake until surface is puffed and springy to the touch, 10-12 minutes.
• Let cake cool in pan 2 minutes, then run a knife along short edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack and carefully peel away parchment. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust cake with cocoa powder. Cover with a large kitchen towel. Place another wire rack on top and flip cake over so towel side is underneath. Remove top rack; dust exposed side with cocoa powder. Starting at one of the long sides, gently roll up warm cake inside towel. Let cake cool, seam side down, 30-35 minutes.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.
• Assembly:
• Carefully unroll towel and cake on a flat surface (cake will curl at the ends and may have a few small cracks but should stay in 1 piece). Position cake so the end that was in innermost part of spiral is closest to you; brush off any excess cocoa.
• Using a pastry brush, gently dab cocoa syrup over entire surface of cake; you may not use it all. Dollop bittersweet ganache over top and smooth with an offset spatula to create an even layer.
• Dollop mascarpone filling over ganache; carefully spread over surface, trying not to blend with ganache and avoiding last inch of cake along long side farthest from you.
• Using towel to lift edge nearest you, reroll cake, keeping towel on exterior. Chill, seam side down, until filling is set, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer filled cake to a baking sheet. Set aside 1/2 cup buttercream for attaching branches. Evenly spread remaining buttercream over cake with an offset spatula.
• Using a long serrated knife, trim 1/2" of cake from each end to create clean edges; discard (or eat!). Slice off a 4" piece of cake. Starting 1" from end, divide 4" piece in half, cutting at a 45° angle, leaving 1" at opposite end. Transfer log to a platter.
• Place angled side of each small piece of cake against roll to create branches, positioning one on top and the other on the side using a large dab of buttercream to secure. Cover any exposed cake on sides with more buttercream but leave cut ends exposed.
• Use spatula to create textured lines in buttercream to look like birch bark.
• Knead together marzipan and cocoa powder on a surface until smooth. Roll out on a sheet of parchment paper to less than 1/8" thick, then cut out wavy strips to look like tree knots; drape over buttercream and press gently to adhere.
• Using either a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip or a disposable plastic bag with one corner snipped off, drizzle melted chocolate over log to mimic birch bark striations. Chill Bûche de Noël, uncovered, until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, press mushrooms perpendicularly into log in groups of 2 or 3.
• Do Ahead
• Bûche de Noël (without meringue mushrooms) can be assembled 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and chill. Attach mushrooms just before serving.

BUCHE DE NOEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

CARDAMOM-PISTACHIO BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• Make the Meringue Mushrooms:
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl until foamy and the yellowish tinge has disappeared, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, add granulated sugar about 1 Tbsp. at a time until mixture is very stiff and shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round pastry tip (or a freezer bag with a 1/2" opening cut from one bottom corner). Pipe 12 mounds ranging in size from 1"-1 1/2" in diameter for the mushroom caps on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pipe 12 cones straight up about 1 1/2" high for the mushroom stems. With a lightly damp finger, tamp down points on rounds. Sprinkle rounds with cocoa powder. Pipe extra tops and stems with remaining meringue as backups.
• Bake meringues until dry and set, about 2 hours. Open oven door 10 minutes to release any steam. Turn oven off, shut door, and let meringues dry out completely, about 2 hours longer or up to overnight.
• When ready to assemble, melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until melted, about 20 seconds. Using an offset spatula, release meringues from parchment. Using a paring knife, make a small hole in the center of flat side of each mushroom cap. Spread some chocolate on flat side, then stick top of stem into hole. Return to parchment and repeat with remaining tops and stems. Let mushrooms stand at room temperature until chocolate is firm.
• Make the Pistachio Filling:
• Combine pistachios and milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until pistachios are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and skim off any loose pistachio skins.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes.
• Transfer pistachio mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk in egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken but do not let boil, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and almond extract. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
• Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
• Whisk egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water) and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes fluffy and opaque and you can't feel any grains of sugar when you rub mixture between two fingers, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
• Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg white mixture until cool, glossy, and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (A stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment makes this job much easier!) Add butter one piece at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next, until fluffy and smooth, another 4 minutes. If mixture looks curdled, switch to the paddle attachment and/or apply a little bit of heat to underside of bowl with a washcloth dipped in hot water and continue to beat until smooth. Beat in chocolate and vanilla extract until combined.
• Do Ahead: Frosting can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Bring to room temperature and beat to desired consistency.
• Make the Cardamom Sponge Cake and Brandy Syrup:
• Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Grease an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet with oil. Line with parchment paper and grease parchment.
• Using electric mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup water in a large bowl until doubled in size and thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the motor running, gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, a little at a time, until mixture is very thick. Beat in vanilla.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 tsp. cardamom over egg yolk mixture and fold gently to combine (it will be very thick).
• Using electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another clean large bowl until foamy and the yellowish tinge has disappeared, about 1 minute. Beat in 1/2 cup granulated sugar, about 1 Tbsp. at a time, until shiny, medium stiff peaks form. Fold about one-quarter of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture to loosen. Fold remaining egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake until puffed and set and springs back when gently poked in the center, 15-20 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes.
• Set a clean dish towel on a work surface and dust completely with powdered sugar. Cut around edges of cake with a sharp paring knife. Invert cake onto prepared towel; remove parchment. Without squishing the cake and starting on long side, gently roll up cake in towel. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• While cake cools, make the brandy syrup. Cook remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp. cardamom with 2 Tbsp. water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Let cool.
• Make the Chocolate Bark and Assemble:
• Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted, about 1 minute. Using an offset spatula, spread melted chocolate across a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Sift cocoa over and freeze bark until solid, about 10 minutes.
• Gently unroll cake. With a pastry brush, evenly brush with brandy syrup until all syrup is absorbed. Spread filling evenly over cake and roll it back up without towel.
• Transfer to a platter. Trim ends. Cut off about 3" from both ends on a diagonal. Place angled side of each small piece against roll to create branches, positioning one on top and the other on the side, using a large dab of frosting to adhere. Cover any exposed cake on sides with more frosting.
• Break chocolate bark into long shards and press into cake in a decorative pattern. Top and surround cake with meringue mushrooms. Use pistachios to create "moss" on and around log. Dust with powdered sugar.