WINTER menus
La Bûche de Noël paper and use it to tighten the log. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Unwrap the
Bûche and place it on a dish, evenly spread over the remaining butter cream
“Celebrate Christmas with a memorable and classic French and using a fork, mark the cream to give the impression of a log. Refrigerate
dessert!” for 30 minutes.
Difficulty rating: To serve
Serves (Yield): 8 Slice the Bûche into 8 pieces using a hot knife, place a slice on each plate
Preparation time: 40 minutes and serve with vanilla cream or surrounded by a chocolate sauce. Decorate
Cooking time: 10 minutes with some chocolate flakes.
Special equipment: Pastry tray 30/35cm, sugar thermometer, electric
whisking machine Chef’s notes (*)
*1 Do not overcook the sponge as it will be dry and difficult to roll.
Ingredients *2 At this stage you could add any flavour of your choice i.e. coffee, lemon,
For the sponge biscuit or you can leave it plain.
4 egg whites
60g caster sugar Variations
4 egg yolks You could change the rum for Cointreau and grated orange zest.
60g plain flour
14g melted butter
For the butter cream
70g caster sugar
50g water
3 egg yolks
240g butter (room temperature)
30g dark rum or Cointreau
200g candied chestnuts, roughly chopped (plus a few whole ones for
decoration)
For the soaking syrup
75ml stock syrup (half sugar, half water, bring to the boil)
25ml dark rum
Method
For the sponge biscuit
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Whip the egg whites gradually adding the sugar
until they reach soft peaks. Whisk in quickly the egg yolks, and then fold in
the flour followed by the melted butter. Line your pastry tray with silicone
paper, pour on the mixture and spread out on the tray to 1cm thickness.
Cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until a light golden colour is
reached and it springs back to the touch (*1). Remove from the oven and
leave to cool on a wire rack before filling.
For the butter cream
In a small saucepan cook the sugar and water to 121°C. Whilst this is
cooking, whisk the yolks to a light ribbon stage, pour over the sugar syrup
when it has reached temperature and whisk until it has cooled to around
35°C. On a slow speed gradually add the soft, room-temperature butter and
whisk on full speed for 3 minutes (*2). At this stage you can add the Cointreau
and the orange zest.
To build the Bûche
Mix the stock syrup and Cointreau together, then, using a pastry brush, soak
the sponge evenly with it. Spread a third of the butter cream over the soaked
sponge, then roll the sponge into a tight roll 30cm long; start by folding over
the top edge towards you by about 1cm then use this to roll the log up
making sure that it is tight all the way through. Be sure to place the join on
the underside of the log so that it doesn’t unroll! Wrap the log in the silicone
www.raymondblanc.com RAYMOND BLANC’s SEASONS 47
RBS6_XmasMenus 36-49.vp.indd 47 28/11/08 5:57:32 pm
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