Chocolate Orange Bûche De Noël Food

ORANGE-WALNUT BUCHE DE NOEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Spray and flour parchment, tapping off excess; set aside. In a food processor, pulse walnuts and flour until coarsely ground; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks with 5 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla. In a clean mixing bowl fitted with a clean whisk, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff (but not dry) glossy peaks form. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture in 3 equal batches, and add walnut mixture with last batch.
• Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake until top is golden and springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around edges of cake; invert cake onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Starting at a short side, gently roll the cake into a log, incorporating towel. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Reserve 1 1/2 cups mascarpone filling. Unroll cake and spread remaining filling on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Carefully reroll cake (without towel). Arrange, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, trim ends of log. Spread reserved filling over log. Working quickly, arrange chocolate bark all over log, overlapping pieces slightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Garnish with acorns and leaves, if desired; dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND MACADAMIA BUCHE DE NOEL

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 400°F Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper.
• Beat eggs, yolk, and sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
• Sift in flour and cocoa.
• Add orange peel; gently fold together.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is springy to the touch and begins to pull from sides, about 7 minutes.
• Cut around edges to free cake. Turn out cake and paper to work surface and let cool.
• Buttercreams: Bring sugar and water to boil in heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Continue boiling without stirring until thermometer registers 240F (soft ball stage).
• Beat yolks until thickened.
• Add liqueur; gradually beat in hot syrup.
• Continue beating until cool, about 5 minutes.
• Add butter 3 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition.
• Mix in orange juice concentrate.
• Transfer 3 1/4 cups buttercream to a small bowl; mix chocolate into remaining.
• Assembly: Invert cake onto sheet of plastic wrap.
• Carefully remove paper.
• Spread orange buttercream over cake, leaving 1 inch boarder on one long side.
• Sprinkle with macadamias.
• Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting with long side and rolling toward side with uncovered border.
• Trim to make ends even.
• Cut 2 inches off each end of roll at 45 degree angle.
• Transfer roll to platter using plastic as aid and arranging seam side down.
• Spread some chocolate buttercream on cut ends of 2 inch sides.
• With buttercream touching cake, place one piece atop cake off-center and the second on one long side to resemble tree stumps.
• Transfer 1 cup chocolate buttercream to pastry bag fitted with 1/4 inch plain tip.
• Spread remaining buttercream over cake.
• Pipe buttercream in spirals on ends of buche and stumps, starting at center of each.
• Run fork tines through buttercream to simulate bark.
• Arrange holly and cranberries decoratively on buche.
• Garish with Meringue Mushrooms right before serving.
• Meringue Mushrooms: Preheat oven to 150°F.
• Line baking sheet with wax paper.
• Beat whites, and pinch of salt 1 minute to blend.
• Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
• Add to whites in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds after each.
• Continue beating until meringue is stiff and glossy.
• Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch plain tip.
• Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch domed rounds on prepared sheet for mushroom caps.
• Smooth top of each with damp finger.
• Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch high peaked mounds on prepared sheets for stems.
• Bake until meringues are dry and beginning to color, about 1 3/4 hours.
• Let cool completely.
• Using small knife, cut small hole in bottom of each mushroom cap.
• Dip peaked end of stem in sugar paste and push into hole in mushroom cap.
• Repeat with remaining caps.
• Dust mushrooms with cocoa powder before serving.

CARAMEL-ORANGE BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For buttercream:
• Whisk egg yolks, sugar and flour in medium bowl to blend well. Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Slowly whisk hot half and half into egg mixture. Return egg mixture to same saucepan and cook until mixture boils and thickens, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add chocolate and orange peel and stir until mixture is smooth. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Cool completely. (Pastry cream can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter 11x17-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment. Butter and flour parchment. Coarsely grind toasted almonds with flour in processor. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 5 tablespoons brown sugar in medium bowl until slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted. Stir in orange peel and vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Gently fold in almond mixture.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides if necessary to loosen cake. Slide cake on parchment onto rack. Cool.
• Slide cake on parchment onto work surface. Loosen cake from parchment using knife as aid. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Invert onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and invert onto another parchment sheet.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier. Add pastry cream 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition until just blended.
• Spread half of buttercream over cake, leaving 1/2-inch border. Starting at 1 long side, roll up cake jelly roll fashion. Arrange seam side down on parchment. Set aside 1/2 cup buttercream; spread remaining buttercream over cake. Cut 2 inches off each end of cake, cutting on diagonal. Transfer cake to platter. Attach ends to top of cake, forming branches. Spread reserved 1/2 cup buttercream over cake ends and seams. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm buttercream. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.)
• Arrange pine twigs on cake and on platter. Garnish with cranberries.
• For Cranberries:
• Cook 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer to top of double boiler. Add cranberries. Cover berry mixture and place over simmering water. Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from over water. Let cranberry mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar on plate. Drain cranberries well. Add to sugar and turn to coat. Let dry at least 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 15 x 10-inch (38 x 25 cm) metal jelly roll pan with parchment paper; mist with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 20 seconds, then stir and repeat until melted; 1 to 1 ½ minutes total. Stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Beat together egg yolks, sugar and salt in large bowl using electric hand mixer until pale yellow. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites in separate large bowl using electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Fold a quarter of egg whites into chocolate mixture using rubber spatula; fold in remaining egg whites. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing top.
• Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched in centre; about 10 minutes. Run paring knife around edges of cake to loosen. Cover cake with clean damp kitchen towel; let cool completely.
• Arrange same damp towel on work surface with long side facing you; dust with cocoa powder. Carefully invert cake onto towel with long side facing you; remove pan and gently peel off parchment. Trim edges of cake. Set aside.
• Stir ½ cup hazelnut spread with mascarpone in separate large bowl until well combined. Spread over surface of cake. Beginning at long side closest to you and lifting and guiding cake with towel, roll up cake lengthwise. Arrange, seam-side down, on work surface.
• Diagonally slice 5-inch (13 cm) long piece off one end of cake. Arrange longer piece of cake on serving platter; place cut end of short piece adjacent to long piece to make a "Y" shape. Spread remaining hazelnut spread all over cake. Refrigerate uncovered until hazelnut spread is set; about 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. If using, top with sugared cranberries and mint.