Yummy Chocolate Yule Log

Picture a gloriously festive table full of Christmas delights and no doubt a yule log will appear somewhere in the mix. The tradition of burning your best log in the fire at Christmas dates back to medieval times; a custom most of us now celebrate by eating the tasty chocolate version.

The yule log features quite a few naughty ingredients but if you can’t spoil yourself at Christmas when can you? Plus, you really don’t need a very big portion as it can be pretty rich; this recipe is enough for eight servings. Everyone wants a delicious dessert to get them in the Christmas spirit and if you have people around your festive dinner table who are not fans of Christmas pudding this can be a great alternative.

It also gives you the opportunity to use some of your creative flair when decorating. The recipe states a simple piece of holly on the top but with a bit of marzipan you could make all sorts of decorations such as snowmen, mushrooms, berries etc. The dusting of icing sugar creates a snowy look but for a thicker layer of snow you could sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Making my yule log on Christmas Eve and enjoying it with my family after Christmas lunch the next day has become a traditional in my household that I hope will continue for many years to come.

Serves 8

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Yummy Chocolate Yule Log December 8, 2014 Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:

• 115g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
• Butter for greasing
• 150g caster sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 4 eggs, separated
• 280g plain chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 1 tsp almond essence
• 225ml double cream
• 2 tbsps rum
• Icing sugar to dust
• Piece of holly to decorate

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a Swiss roll tin measuring 16 x 11 inches with butter and dust with a little flour.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of sugar to one side and whisk the rest in with the egg yolks. When the mixture has thickened stir in the almond essence.
3. In a grease free bowl whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Whisk in the leftover sugar until peaks stiffen.
4. Sift half of the flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in. Then fold in a quarter of the egg whites. Then sift and fold in the rest of the flour followed by the remaining egg whites.
5. Spoon this mixture into the Swiss roll tin spreading it as evenly as possible and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. Turn the cake out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper sprinkled with caster sugar. Roll it up and leave to cool.
7. In a saucepan, bring the cream to boiling point and then pour over the broken up chocolate which should be placed in a heatproof bowl. Stir until chocolate has melted. Using an electric mixer beat the mixture until thick and smooth in texture.
8. Keeping around a third of the chocolate mixture aside, add the rum to the rest.
9. Unroll the cake and spread it with the chocolate and rum mixture. Reroll and place on a plate.
10. Spread the remaining chocolate mixture over the outside. To create the correct texture drag a fork through it. To decorate, dust with icing sugar and place a piece of holly.