Mocha Logs For Yule Food

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOCHA YULE LOG

Steps:

• Whip together 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream, the confectioners' sugar and espresso powder in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread a heaping tablespoon of the whipped cream onto one side of 39 chocolate wafer cookies (wipe the spoon clean with a rubber spatula between dollops). Spread the whipped cream out on the cookies with a small offset spatula. Stack 5 cookies on top of each other. Repeat with the remaining cookies (including the one without whipped cream) so that you have 8 stacks total. One of the stacks will have a cookie on top with no whipped cream; this stack will be the top stack.
• To build the log: Lay out a piece of plastic wrap about 20 inches long on the countertop. Working across the entire length of the plastic wrap, lay one of the cookie stacks on its side. Gently press the remaining 7 cookies stacks together, end to end, finishing with the top stack, to make one long cookie log that's about 15 to 18 inches long. Wrap the log up in the plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• While your stack is chilling, make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir until completely melt. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and refrigerate until completely cool, about 30 minutes. Just before frosting, whip the ganache until it just begins to loosen up, turns lighter in color and is spreadable, 30 to 45 seconds. It's important not to overwhip or it will become grainy.
• Cut a 2- to 3- inch diagonal piece from the top end of the log and place it on top of the log at an angle; this will be the branch. Spread the ganache over the log to cover it completely. Heat a metal fork. Use the tines and the back of a the fork to draw a bark pattern in the ganache, running it along the surface in short strokes.
• To make the mushrooms: Shave the tops of 6 of the meringues with a rasp grater until they are smooth and round and resemble mushroom caps. Smooth the tops with a wet finger. Mix together 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar with 1/4 teaspoon water in a small bowl to make a glue. Smear a little of the sugar glue on the bottom of each meringue and stick a marshmallow to it to make a stem. To make a shorter stem, simply cut the marshmallow in half with kitchen shears. Let the mushrooms sit for 30 minutes until the sugar water has hardened. Dust the tops with cocoa powder.
• Decorate the cake with the mushrooms, rosemary, mint and cranberries. Shave the remaining meringue over top of the cake to make snow. Slice the cake on a diagonal for serving.

SUPER-QUICK MOCHA YULE LOG

Steps:

• Sift 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add cocoa mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Spread 1 side of 1 chocolate wafer with 1 rounded teaspoonful mocha cream; top with another wafer. Continue layering wafers and mocha cream for stack of 5 cookies. Place stack on its side on long platter. Repeat making stacks with remaining wafers and some of mocha cream; form log on platter by attaching stacks with mocha cream. Using offset spatula or rubber spatula, spread remaining mocha cream over outside of log to coat. Cover; chill at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Place platter with yule log on work surface. Using fork, gently pull tines of fork along length of frosting on log to create design resembling tree bark. Sift powdered sugar over log to resemble snow. Arrange meringue cookies or Meringue Mushrooms along sides of log. Cut log on diagonal into thick slices. Serve immediately.

YULE LOG

Steps:

• For the filling: Bring the cream to a ­simmer in a small saucepan over high heat. Off the heat, stir in the confectioners' sugar and espresso and let cool slightly. Gently whisk the cooled cream mixture into the softened mascarpone until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the frosting: Place the chocolate in a food processor. Bring the cream, corn syrup and salt to a boil in a liquid measuring cup in the microwave. Stir the mixture to combine.
• Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate in the food processor and process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add the sugar and vanilla nad continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add the softened butter, one piece at at time, through the feed tube. Continue to process until the frosting is smooth and no butter chunks remain, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
• For the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the paper. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, whip the eggs with an ­electric mixer on medium-high speed and gradually add the sugar, about 1 minute. Continue to whip the mixture until very thick and voluminous, 4 to 8 minutes. Whip in the vanilla. Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread out to an even layer. Bake the cake until it feels firm and springs back when touched, 12 to 17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
• Immediately run a knife around the edge of the cake and flip the hot cake out onto a large sheet of greased parchment paper. Peel off and discard the parchment paper baked on the ­bottom of the cake. Starting from a long end, roll the cake snugly around the large sheet of ­parchment into a log and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Beat the filling until stiff with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, 10 to 30 seconds. Gently unroll the cake. Spread the filling over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the edges. Reroll the cake gently but snugly around the filling. Following the photos, cut a 2- to 3-inch piece off one end of the cake at an angle and reserve.
• Line the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment and arrange the chocolate roll on the platter. Frost the cake evenly with 2 cups of the frosting. Attach the reserved trim piece on top of the cake (to look like a stump) and frost with the remaining frosting. Using a fork, make a wood grain pattern in the frosting all over the cake.
• To decorate: If desired, lightly dust the entire cake with confectioners' sugar to look like snow. Remove the parchment strips before serving.

MOCHA YULE LOG

Steps:

• 1. Cake Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll large jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper. Mix the flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat until thick and lemon colored. Fold into the flour mixture. Add the cream of tarter to the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. Add the other 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until glossy. Fold into the cake mixture. Spread evenly on prepared pan. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then turn it out on a clean dish towel that is dusted with powdered sugar. Begin at short end and roll up jelly roll style. Let cool completely.
• 2. For the filling Dissolve the expresso powder in the heavy cream and beat until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Unroll cake and add the filling roll back up and trim the edges. Set on plate seam side down. Place in fridge to get cold
• 3. For the frosting. Beat all frosting ingredients together adding heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached. Frost the cold cake. Use a fork to make lines to resemble tree bark.

MOCHA LOGS (FOR YULE)

Steps:

• 1. 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt MOCHA FROSTING (recipe follows) Powdered sugar (optional) Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough 1 to 2 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into log shape, each about 2-1/2 inches long and 3/4 inches in diameter; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with MOCHA FROSTING. Using tines of fork, draw lines through frosting to represent tree bark. Lightly sift with powdered sugar, if desired. About 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
• 2. MOCHA FROSTING 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 2-2/3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 3 to 4 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons powdered instant espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and coca alternately with milk, dissolved espresso and vanilla, beating to spreading consistency. About 1-2/3 cups frosting.