Meringue Mushrooms For Birch De Noel Food

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to the bottom, and continue whipping until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks.
• Place a round tip into a pastry bag, and fill the bag half way with the meringue. To pipe the mushroom caps, squeeze out round mounds of meringue onto one of the prepared cookie sheets. Pull the bag off to the side to avoid making peaks on the top. For the stems, press out a tiny bit of meringue onto the other sheet, then pull the bag straight up. They should resemble candy kisses. Do not worry about making all of the pieces exactly the same. The mushrooms will look more natural if the pieces are different sizes. Dust the mushroom caps lightly with cocoa using a small sifter or strainer.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the caps are dry enough to easily remove from the cookie sheets. Set aside to cool completely. Melt the coating chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, or in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth.
• Poke a small hole in the bottom of a mushroom cap. Spread chocolate over the bottom of the cap. Dip the tip of a stem in chocolate, and press lightly into the hole. When the chocolate sets, they will hold together. Repeat with remaining pieces. Store at room temperature in a dry place or tin.

BIRCH DE NOëL

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375˚. Lightly coat an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper. Beat the egg yolks, brown sugar and vanilla and almond extracts in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
• Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold one-quarter of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the remaining egg whites until there are no more white streaks.
• Whisk the two flours in a medium bowl and gently fold into the egg mixture until combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 13 to 15 minutes.
• As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, dust with confectioners' sugar. Loosen the edges with a paring knife. Place another baking sheet on top of the cake and invert the cake onto it. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment. Dust more confectioners' sugar on the exposed cake. Cover with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and place the baking sheet on top. Invert the cake again so it is on the towel and remove the top baking sheet. Starting at a long end, roll up the cake and the towel together to form a log. Place seam-side down on a rack and let cool, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the mascarpone and vanilla until thickened, about 30 seconds (do not overbeat). Refrigerate the frosting until the cake has cooled.
• Gently unroll the cake with a long side facing you. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over the cake, leaving a 1/4-inch border on the two short sides and a 1-inch border on the far long side. Dollop the cherry jam on top and gently spread to cover the frosting. Reroll the cake (without the towel) and place seam-side down on a platter. Trim both ends, then cut off one 3/4-inch-thick slice. Unroll the slice slightly to cut off 3 inches of the spiral; reroll the slice into a spiral (this will be the knot of the log).
• Frost the cake with all but 1/2 cup of the frosting, using a small offset spatula to create a bark-like texture. Place the small cake slice on the side to look like a tree knot; cover with the remaining frosting.
• Put the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Let cool, then transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe thin lines of chocolate onto the cake, pressing it into the frosting with the tip of the bag. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

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.

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS FOR BIRCH DE NOEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place Swiss meringue in an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a large 3/4-inch round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe meringue, forming domes 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Pipe a stem shape for each dome. Bake for 1 hour; reduce heat to 175 degrees, and continue baking until meringues are completely dry to the touch but not browned, 45 to 60 minutes more.
• Fill a medium saucepan one-quarter full with water. Set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Place bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir chocolate occasionally until completely melted. Using an offset spatula, spread bottoms of domed meringues with chocolate; let sit at room temperature.
• Place white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir chocolate occasionally until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly. To create mushroom gills, spread white chocolate over dark chocolate; use a toothpick to create lines from the center of the cap's underside to the edges. Let set in a cool, dry place.
• Poke a small hole in the center of each mushroom cap using a paring knife. Dip the pointed end of each of the mushroom stems in melted white chocolate, and insert into hole in center of cap. Allow to set. Meringue mushrooms should be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place Swiss Meringue in an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (Wilton #1A). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Pipe meringue, forming domes 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Pipe a stem shape for each dome. Place baking sheets in oven for 1 hour, reduce heat to 175 degrees, and continue baking until meringues are completely dry to the touch but not browned, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Fill a medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set over medium heat, and bring water to a simmer. Place bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir occasionally until completely melted. Using an offset spatula, spread bottoms of domed meringues with chocolate; let set at room temperature.
• Place white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir occasionally until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly. Spread white chocolate over dark chocolate; use a toothpick to create lines from the center of the cap to the edges. Let set in a cool, dry place.
• Poke a small hole in the center of each mushroom cap using a paring knife. Dip the pointed end of each of the mushroom stems in melted white chocolate, and insert into hole in center of cap. Allow to set. Meringue mushrooms should be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in sugar, beating at high speed until mixture is very stiff and dull looking.
• Scrape meringue mixture into pastry bag. Pipe round, button shapes to make mushroom "caps". Pipe pointed "kiss" shapes about one inch tall to make "stems". Dust with cocoa. Bake two hours in 200 degree oven until crisp and completely dry. Assemble the mushrooms: Place chocolate in a small bowl. Set bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water. Immediately turn off heat and stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Spread a little melted chocolate on the flat side of each meringue mushroom "cap". Use a sharp knife to cut off and discard the pointed ends of meringue "stems". Attach stems to caps while chocolate is still soft. Set assembled mushrooms aside until the chocolate has dried and caps and stems are "glued" together. Meringue mushrooms may be made 3-4 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container.

BIRCH DE NOEL - YULE LOG

Steps:

• Chocolate Cake:.
• Heat oven to 350°F
• Wrap coconut in a kitchen towel, and place in the oven for 15 minutes or longer.
• Remove from oven, and place on a work surface.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F
• Tap coconut with a hammer until it cracks in several places; break it in pieces (The white flesh should be slightly pulling away from hard shell).
• Carefully peel, keeping pieces of coconut as large as possible.
• Using a vegetable peeler peel largest pieces of coconut into long curls, and place on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until just dry.
• Grate the smaller pieces on the box grater.
• You will need about 1/2 cup grated coconut for the cake filling.
• Heat oven to 400°F
• Line a 12x17 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks on high speed until pale yellow, 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer to bowl, and set aside.
• Wash and dry mixer bowl.
• Place egg whites in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1-2 minutes.
• Increase speed to high, and add sugar gradually, whipping until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold egg-yolk mixture into egg-white mixture; add cocoa powder and flour over top, and gently fold together.
• Pour batter into prepared pans; smooth top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until cake springs back when touched, 9-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and immediately turn cake out onto a wire rack lined with parchment paper.
• Peel parchment paper from top of cake, and cool completely.
• Place a clean kitchen towel on work surface.
• Transfer cake on parchment paper to towel.
• Using a pastry brush, coat cake with rum.
• Using an offset spatula spread the white-chocolate mousse over cake.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut.
• With a short end of cake facing you, roll carefully into a "log" shape on a kitchen towel, and secure with clothespins or large metal binder to hold the roll in a tight round shape.
• Place on a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Remove from refrigerator, and unwrap.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the ends of the roll, cutting on the bias.
• Choose the more presentable end, and turn it side up, on the log, forming a branch or knot.
• If desired, use the other cut off end as a branch.
• Transfer the log to a serving platter.
• Slide 5-inch strips of parchment paper under the log to protect the tray while decorating.
• Coat with Seven Minute Frosting using an offset spatula.
• Remove parchment pieces.
• Decorate with Meringue Mushrooms, Snowy Chocolate Truffles, coconut shavings, and sugared Rosemary Sprigs.
• White Chocolate Mousse: Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water, and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Place chocolate in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped.
• Prepare an ice water bath; set aside.
• Place 3/4 cup cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add gelatin, and stir to dissolve completely.
• Pour into food processor with the motor running and process until chocolate mixture is smooth.
• Transfer to medium bowl and place over ice water bath.
• Chill until thick enough to fall from spoon in ribbons.
• Whip remaining 1 3/4 cups heavy cream to soft peaks.
• Fold into chocolate mixture (If not using immediately, refrigerate in an airtight container).
• Snowy Chocolate Truffles: Heat oven to 350°F
• Place almonds, if using, on a baking sheet, and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• Use a serrated knife to spread the chocolate.
• Place in a heat-proof bowl; set aside.
• In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil.
• Pour directly over chopped chocolate stirring to fully incorporate.
• Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Stir until completely melted and mixed.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• Stir in almonds, if using, and place in the refrigerator until set.
• Use a melon baller or 1 1/4 inch ice cream scoop to portion out chocolate.
• Roll the scoops of chocolate between palms to form 1-inch truffles.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve; dust with confectioners sugar before serving.
• Seven Minute Frosting: In a small heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, the corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
• Rub a bit between your fingers to make sure there is no graininess.
• Raise heat to bring to a boil.
• Do not stir anymore.
• Boil, washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water from time to time to prevent the sugar from crystallizing, until a candy thermometer registers 230F, about 5 minutes. (Depending on the humidity, this can take anywhere from 4-10 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes.
• Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Remove the syrup from the heat when the temperature reaches 230F (it will keep rising as pan is removed from heat).
• Pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering) containing the egg white mixture, with the mixer on medium-low speed.
• Beat the frosting on medium speed until it is cool, 5-10 minutes.
• The frosting should be thick and shiny. Use immediately.
• Sugared Rosemary Sprigs: Brush washed sprigs with a glaze of white sugar from a large egg thinned with a tablespoon of water, then coat in sugar, and let air dry.

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.