Chocolate
- Almond Yule Log
8
to 10 servings
- 1/2
cup sugar
- 1/2
cup water
- 6
eggs, separated
- 3/4
teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2/3
cup sugar, divided
- 1/2
teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2
teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4
teaspoon salt
- 1/2
cup ground almonds
- 1/4
cup all-purpose flour
- Confectioner’s
sugar
- 1
tablespoon almond- or cherry-flavored liqueur,
optional
- Chocolate
frosting (about 2 cups)
- Sliced
blanched almonds, optional
- Cinnamon
candies, optional
- Sliced
green glace cherries, optional
Lightly
grease 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Line
bottom with waxed paper. Grease again. Set aside.
In
small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and water to boiling.
Reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
In
large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at
high speed until foamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar, 2
tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is
dissolved (rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and
forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved) and whites are
glossy and stand in soft peaks.
In
small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until
thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually
beat in remaining 1/3 cup of the sugar until blended. Beat
in vanilla, almond extract and salt. In small bowl, stir
together ground almonds and flour. Sprinkle over whites.
Add beaten yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk
mixture and almond mixture into whites. Pour into prepared
pan. Gently spread evenly.
Bake
in preheated 400° F oven until top springs back when
lightly touched with finger, about 10 to 12 minutes. Dust
clean tea towel with confectioner’s sugar. With spatula,
loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto prepared
towel. Carefully pull waxed paper off bottom of cake. Trim
all edges with serrated knife.
Stir
liqueur, if desired, into cooled, reserved sugar syrup.
Spoon evenly over inside surface of hot cake. Starting
from short edge, roll up cake, rolling towel with cake.
Place wrapped roll seam-side down on wire rack until cool,
about 30 minutes.
Carefully
unroll cake. Spread with about 1 cup chocolate frosting.
Reroll. Place seam-side down on serving platter. Spread
with about 1 cup additional frosting, using small spatula
to create tree-bark effect. Garnish with sliced almonds,
candies and cherries, if desired.
Note:
If prepared in advance, baked and cooled cake may be
frozen without filling. Wrap well with aluminum foil or
plastic wrap. To thaw, let wrapped cake stand at room
temperature about 1 hour.
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