Caramelized White Chocolate & Apricot Yule Log

For the almond biscuit: Organise the necessary ingredients.

Pour the egg whites in the stand mixer recipient.

Start beating the egg whites at low speed.

Add 100 grams of castor sugar, pouring it gradually. Beat until smooth and foamy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks, whole eggs and 160 grams castor sugar.

Beat with the whisk...

... until foamy and doubled in volume.

Pour the melted butter (let cool down beforehand) over the beaten eggs and combine gently with a whisk.

Pour 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the preparation.

Combine well with a whisk (there is no risk of the preparation collapsing at this stage).

Add the remaining egg whites.

Fold gently with a rubber spatula, going right down to the bottom of the bowl.

Combine until homogeneous.

Add the flour and combine with the spatula.

Add the almond powder. Fold with a rubber spatula.

Set an expandable stainless steel frame to 35 x 25cm. Arrange the frame over a Silichef XL perforated baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat.

Grease the inside of the frame with an oil spray.

Pour the biscuit preparation inside the frame.

Even the surface with a metallic cranked spatula...

... and bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated at 190°C (gas 5) between 10 and 12 minutes.

When cooked...

... remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature.

For the Zéphyr Caramel chocolate mousse: Organise the necessary ingredients.

Place the gelatine in 96 grams of water.

Combine well...

... and set aside.

Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds out.

Pour the milk and whipping cream in a saucepan.

Add the vanilla pod and seeds and bring to a gentle boil.

Cover the saucepan with cling film and infuse for about 30 minutes. Set aside.

Beat the whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream.

The consistency should be creamy and smooth. Reserve in the fridge.

Over a separate saucepan, pass the infused milk through a fine sieve.

Return the milk to the heat...

... and bring to a boil. Stop the heat...

... and add the rehydrated gelatine.

Combine with a whisk until the gelatine has dissolved completely.

Pour the boiling milk over the Zéphyr caramel chocolate pistoles.

Wait for the chocolate to melt a little before stirring...

... then combine with a whisk...

... until homogeneous.

Let the temperature cool down to 30°C.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the chocolate preparation.

Combine well with a whisk.

Pour the preparation over the remaining whipped cream...

... and fold gently with the spatula. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Cara Nougatine: Reheat the Cara Nougatine filling in the microwave to soften it.

Pour the Cara Nougatine over the almond biscuit.

Spread with a cranked spatula...

... into a thin, regular layer. Store in the freezer for about one hour.

For the apricot jelly (can be prepared in advance): Organise the necessary ingredients.

Hydrate the gelatine with 60 grams of water. Combine well and set aside.

Pour the apricot purée in a saucepan.

Add the lemon juice.

Heat both ingredients while stirring gently.

Add the castor sugar and bring to a boil.

Add the hydrated gelatine mass.

Combine gently with a whisk until the gelatine is completely dissolved.

Fill the yule log insert mould with the preparation...

... then cover with cling film and place in the freezer.

Assembling the yule log: Gather the different elements on your workbench. Slide the blade of a knife between the frame and the biscuit.

Gently remove the stainless steel frame.

Trim the biscuit on 4 sides, making sure to create as little waste as possible.

Using a graduated ruler, draw a mark at 7 cm from the edge...

... and cut a strip of biscuit...

... to a length of 33 cm. Set aside.

Line a yule log tin with an acetate sheet. The plastic sheet should come up a bit on each side. This will help us to release the yule log from the mould later.

Transfer the cold Zéphyr caramel mousse in a piping bag. The use of a nozzle is not necessary.

Cut the end of the bag with scissors.

Pipe the chocolate mousse at the bottom of the mould.

Using a small palette knife, create a volcano shape so that the mousse goes up the sides.

Pipe 2 or 3 laces of Zéphyr caramel mousse at the bottom.

Release the apricot insert from the mould...

... and arrange carefully over the chocolate mousse, with the rounded side facing down. Bury the insert a little.

The mousse should come up a bit on the sides of the insert.

Cover the insert with the mousse on the sides.

Place the biscuit strip over the chocolate mousse, with the Cara Nougatine side facing down.

Bury it in the mousse a little. The biscuit should slightly come out of the mould. This will make it easier for us to lift the cake after the icing operation.

Pipe more mousse on the sides if needed.

Even the surface with the spatula. Cover with cling film and store in the freezer.
Up to this stage, this recipe can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer. The following steps should be done the day before and on the day.

For the Zéphyr Caramel icing (make the day before): Organise the necessary ingredients.

Place the gelatine in 120 grams of water.

Combine well and set aside.

Pour the water and glucose syrup into a saucepan.

Add the castor sugar, then bring to a boil.

Add the milk powder.

When the preparation gets to a boil, remove the pan from the heat.

Add the sweetened condensed milk...

... while stirring with a whisk.

Add the rehydrated gelatine.

Place both types of chocolate into a bowl.

Pour the hot preparation over the white and milk chocolate pistoles.

Let the chocolate melt for a minute without stirring...

... and combine with a whisk.

Transfer the icing into a dispenser jug...

... and mix with a Bamix hand blender. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate.

Icing and finish: Remove the log from the freezer and release gently from the mould, onto a rack placed on top of a deep tray.

Carefully detach the acetate sheet on the surface of the log. Store in the freezer.

Reheat the icing in the microwave until the temperature reaches 28°C.
Mix with the hand blender until smooth and homogeneous.

Pour the icing over the log, starting from one end and pouring slowly towards the opposite end...

... in one stroke.

When the icing has set, transfer the yule log on a cake board.

If you wish, you can prepare chocolate decorations beforehand. We made shavings of tempered Zéphyr caramel and Zéphyr chocolate and coloured with the Power Flowers system (see chocolate block recipe for more details).

Arrange the chocolate shavings harmoniously on the surface of the log...

... alternating shapes and colours...

... for a simple festive look. Defrost in the fridge for at least 6 hours...

... before serving. Enjoy!