Ivoire & Blackcurrant Snowflake Yule Log

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Refrigerate for: 4 to 5 hours

Freeze for: 2 to 3 hours

Grind the Timut peppercorns.

Put the blackcurrant purée and ground pepper in a saucepan.

Warm them on a low heat, stirring all the while using a whisk.

Add in the agar agar, pectin NH, dextrose and sugar, then bring the mixture to a boil.

Pour out the confit onto a pan and cover its surface with plastic wrap.

Leave it to cool in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.

Once it has cooled, blend the confit using an immersion blender.

Pour the confit into a piping bag.

Make a tube by rolling a piece of parchment paper or plastic around a pen, then sealing the end using some sticky tape.

Fill the tube with the blackcurrant confit and seal the other end with sticky tape.

Put the tube in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.

* If you don’t have dextrose, you can leave it out of this step.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Refrigerate for: 24 hours

Bring half the cream to a boil.

Grate the 4 vanilla beans and add them to the IVOIRE 35% white chocolate.

Gradually mix the hot cream into the white chocolate so that the chocolate melts.

Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk it in.

Incorporate the remaining (chilled) cream, then blend it in using an immersion mixer until the emulsion is flawless.

Leave to set in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Freeze for: 2 hours

Use a stand mixer to beat the egg whites.

Melt the MANJARI 64% dark chocolate, cocoa butter and butter in a bain-marie or microwave.

Add the sugar to the beaten egg whites, then keep beating until they are stiff.

First add one half of the melted chocolate into the whites, followed by the other, initially using a whisk to fold it in gently, then a spatula.

Use a scraper to transfer the mousse into a piping bag, then fill the insert mold with the mousse.

Tap on the mold to get rid of any air bubbles and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Leave in the freezer for 2 hours.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Refrigerate for: 30 minutes

Melt the DULCEY 35% chocolate in the bain-marie or microwave.

Add a pinch of fleur de sel and the crêpe wafer pieces.

Mix them all together so that the crêpe wafer pieces are thoroughly coated with chocolate.

Pour the preparation onto a sheet of parchment paper, then use a rolling pin to spread it out.

Use a stainless steel rectangular mold to shape the mix into a 25×10cm rectangle.

Leave it in the refrigerator until it sets.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 10 minutes

Cut the almond paste into pieces.

Use an immersion blender to blend the almond paste and eggs in a measuring jug.

Pour the preparation into the bowl of a stand mixer, then beat it on a low speed for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, take the crisp out of the refrigerator and cut it to the size of the rectangle mold.

Place the crisp in the refrigerator.

Add the melted butter and gently fold it in using a spatula.

Sift together the flour and cornstarch, then add them to the mix.

Spread the sponge into a stainless steel rectangular mold (25×10cm) placed on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Immediately bake the sponge for 10 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 340°F (170°C).

Take the hot sponge out of the oven and the crisp out of the refrigerator.

Place the crisp on the hot sponge so the heat sticks the two together.

Put them back in the refrigerator.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

TO DO AFTER ASSEMBLY

Take the yule log out of the freezer and remove it from its mold.

Melt the IVOIRE 35% white chocolate and cocoa butter in a bain-marie or microwave.

Filter the mixture into the spray gun through a sieve.

Spray it onto the top and sides of the yule log.

* If you don’t have a spray gun, you can also use a velvet spray to carry out this step.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

TO DO AFTER ASSEMBLY

Heat the sugar and water to 250°F (121°C) to make a syrup.

Use a stand mixer to beat the egg whites.

Gently fold the syrup into the beaten egg whites, then keep beating.

Pour the meringue into a piping bag and pipe out 3 swirls to decorate the top of the log.