Yule Log With Mulled Fruit Cream
Yull Log
4 eggs
100g castor sugar
60g self raising flour
40g cocoa powder
Icing sugar for dusting
Set oven to 190oc and line a swiss roll tin with parchment paper.
Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until pale and fluffy –will take about 5 minutes. Sift in the flour and cocoa and gently fold together until fully incorporated.
Spread into the tin and bake for about 10 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Take a sheet of parchment paper and dust generously with icing sugar.
Place sponge, top side down, onto paper and remove tin. Remove parchment paper. Roll from the larger side with the parchment inside and cool.
Mulled Fruit
4 pears
4 plums
200g frozen cherries
350ml red wine or apple juice
450ml water
Zest and juice 1 orange
125g castor sugar
1 cinnamon stick, split
2 cloves
Place the wine, water, zest and orange juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a pan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Peel the pears, quarter and remove core and add to the pan over a gentle heat – make sure they’re submerged in liquid. Half the plums, cut in half, remove the stone and cut each half in 3 wedges. After 10 minutes of cooking the pears add the plums and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the fruit to cool. Remove fruit and boil the syrup until thick and add to the fruit with the cherries. Allow cherries to defrost before using.
200ml double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Take 100g of the mulled fruit and chop. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and add the icing sugar.
Fold in the fruit.
When the sponge is cool open up and spread with the mulled fruit cream. Roll up and place on a serving dish. Remove parchment paper.
Chocolate Ganache
250ml double cream
250g dark chocolate chopped
Warm the cream in a pan and when hot add the chocolate. Turn off the heat and stir until chocolate is melted. Transfer to a bowl and when cool place in fridge. Keep an eye on the mixture but you want it to be set enough to pipe – should be ready in about half an hour.
Place in a piping bag with a star nozzle.
Pipe along the log.
Decorate with chocolate stars
Dust with icing sugar.
