Recipe: The Dorchester’s Chestnut & Cherry Yule Log

Entertaining friends and family this Christmas but not sure what to rustle up in the kitchen? Why not appease the sweet-toothed guests among the crowd with this delicious yule log, composed of a soft chestnut biscuit rolled with a filling of cherry jam, confit cherries and a light chestnut cream. Yum! Recipe courtesy of The Grill at The Dorchester.

Chestnut and Cherry Yule Log

Serves 12

Chestnut Biscuit (1 baking tray)

INGREDIENTS

• 255g chestnut paste
• 95g chestnut purée
• 160g whole eggs
• 85g rapeseed oil
• 20g cornstarch
• 95g egg whites
• 30g sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
2. Blend the chestnut purée, chestnut paste and the whole eggs with a mixer until a homogeneous consistency is reached.
3. Add the rapeseed oil and cornstarch to the mix.
4. Whip the egg whites with the sugar to medium peaks.
5. Carefully add the whipped egg whites.
6. Pour the mix on the baking tray, and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C.
7. Remove from the oven and put the biscuit on a cooling rack.

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Cherry Jam

INGREDIENTS

• 250g cherry purée
• 2,5g pectin nh
• 25g sugar

METHOD

1. Mix the sugar and pectin.
2. Warm up the cherry purée to 40°C.
3. Add the sugar and pectin mix and bring to a boil for 20 seconds.
4. Remove from the heat and pour the mix into a bowl, cover with cling film and set aside.

Confit Cherries

INGREDIENTS

• 5,5g butter
• 135g frozen Morello cherries
• 75g Amarena cherries
• 0,5g Fleur de sel
• 6,5g lime juice
• 0,5g vanilla seeds
• 5g brown sugar
• 0,75g pectin nh
• 1/2 lime zest

METHOD

1. Warm up the butter in a pan with half of the brown sugar.
2. Add the frozen Morello cherries and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add the Amarena cherries and cook for 5 further minutes.
4. Add the salt, the lime zest, the lime juice and the vanilla seeds.
5. Cook the mix very slowly for 10 minutes.
6. Mix the remaining brown sugar with the pectin.
7. Add the brown sugar and pectin mix to the pan.
8. Bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mix into a bowl.
9. Cover with cling film and set aside.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SLIGHTLY HEALTHIER? SEE OUR HEMSLEY & HEMSLEY RECIPE FOR HOLIDAY SPICED GINGER BISCUITS

Pastry Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 500g milk
• 120g egg yolks
• 100g sugar
• 25g custard powder
• 25g flour

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar, custard powder and flour.
2. Bring the milk to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Pour half of it in the mixing bowl.
5. Put the mix back in the pan and bring the mix back to a boil.
6. Gently boil for 2 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat and pour the mix into a bowl.
8. Cover with cling film and set aside.

Chestnut Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 360g chestnut cream
• 450g chestnut paste (unsweetened)
• 450g pastry cream (see method above)
• 270g butter (softened) 9
• 0g Grand Marnier
• 270g whipping cream

METHOD

1. Whip the cream until medium peaks.
2. Set aside in the fridge.
3. Mix the chestnut cream and the chestnut paste.
4. Incorporate slowly the chestnut mix to the pastry cream (see above), then add the Grand Marnier.
5. Add the softened butter and mix.
6. Add the whipped cream, and mix until you reach a mousse consistency.
7. Set half of the mix aside to spread the yule log after it being rolled.

TO ROLL THE YULE LOG

Place the biscuit on a large sheet of baking parchment. Spread some cherry jam over the biscuit. Dot the jam with some confit cherries. The pieces will add some texture to the log. Finish with a layer of chestnut cream. Start rolling from the long side, up to the other side. Cut the ends to have a clean finish and place the roll on a dish.

DECORATION

Spread the yule log with the remaining chestnut cream. To create some texture, mark along the log using a fork or a skewer. Dust the log with icing sugar for a snow effect. To finish, decorate the log to your liking with edible items such as meringues, candied chestnuts, Amerana cherries.

FOR MORE INSPIRATION SEE OUR GUIDE TO FESTIVE PARTY FOOD