Festive baking: chocolate yule log & biscuit cake pudding

I probably used to like Christmas more before I became a baker,” jokes Jacqueline Lanigan Ryan, whose sweet treats at The Horse & Jockey Hotel in Co Tipperary have made many a driver take a quick detour off the Cork-Dublin road.

Despite the stress of the festive season, however, the pastry chef believes it is possible to get ahead with your Christmas baking with these foolproof recipes that she is sharing with Irish Country Living.

The chocolate yule log, for example, can be baked in advance, filled, rolled and frozen in an airtight container, before defrosting slowly in the fridge the day before it is needed, and then decorated with the quirky mushroom meringues.

Meanwhile, the chocolate biscuit cake pudding – perfect for those who don’t fancy dried fruit – will easily keep for a week to 10 days. It is a great project for kids and makes a thoughtful edible gift if made using individual dariole moulds.

“You can do so much ahead of time,” emphasises Jacqueline.

And if you would like to pick up further festive tips, on Wednesday 7 December at 7.30pm, Jacqueline will be sharing more of her secrets at “The Great H&J Festive Bake Off” in association with Calor Gas, where participants are also encouraged to bring along a cake, dessert or sweet treat decorated with a Christmas theme to be in with a chance of winning a range of prizes such as a Kenwood mixer and a Calor tabletop gas BBQ.

“Presentation and creativity will be awarded a certain amount of the points, but taste will win out,” says Jacqueline of the criteria.

Tickets for the event, including mulled wine and mince pies, cost €15. For further information and bookings, call 0504-44192 or visit www.horseandjockeyhotel.com

Chocolate Biscuit Cake Christmas Pudding

This recipe makes enough for a 900g/2lb pudding bowl or loaf tin. The cake recipe can be adapted to be used in any shape mould. It would make a lovely alternative plum pudding when shaped in a pudding bowl or an igloo if shaped in a cake-making basin. Line your tin or bowl with clingfilm as this will make removal much easier.

1 Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl over simmering water. Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the hot water.

2 Break up the biscuits roughly and add these to the chocolate butter mixture. Add the condensed milk and stir together very well. The optional almonds and sultanas can be added at this stage.

3 Push the cake mixture into whatever tin or bowl you have chosen, making sure that the mixture is packed tightly. Chill this for a few hours in the fridge before turning out and decorating.

To decorate

1 Melt 300g of milk or dark chocolate slowly over simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water to prevent overheating. Slowly pour the chocolate over your chocolate biscuit cake pudding so that it covers it completely, using a palette knife if necessary to spread it. Allow to set.

2 Next, melt 150g of white chocolate or candy melts and slowly pour it over the top, allowing some of it to drip over the sides. Allow this to set and then decorate the top with holly leaves and berries made from fondant.

This is a flourless cake, which is rich and very chocolatey but still a pretty light texture. It can be baked a day or two in advance and filled on the day you are using it. It’s suitable for freezing either filled or unfilled. A chocolate ganache makes a great topping to spread over the top and sides and makes this cake more decadent. This recipe is ideal for a Christmas yule log or to make a black forest gateau trifle.

The roulade could also be filled with whipped cream and fresh raspberries or with a flavoured buttercream like chocolate or orange. Rum or Cointreau would be suitable alcohols to moisten the cake.

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark four). Grease and line a Swiss roll tin 23x33cm or 9”x13” with parchment paper.

2 Melt the chocolate over simmering water. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water as your chocolate will overheat.

3 Whisk the egg yolks and half the sugar on high speed until pale and mousse-like, then whisk in the melted chocolate.

4 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy and add the other half of the sugar and whisk until they are just stiff. Fold one third of the egg white into the chocolate to loosen the mixture and then very carefully fold in the remainder of the egg white with a spatula or metal spoon.

5 Pour into the tin, spread gently and evenly. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, just until it starts to come away from the sides and is still a little soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

6 When rolling, place a sheet of parchment on your work surface and dust with caster or icing sugar. Turn the roulade out and peel off the parchment. Moisten the cake with a little alcohol if using and spread the filling.

7 Top with fruit, if using. Start to roll using the paper to help and roll from the longest side, rolling the cake away from you. Chill in the fridge until firm.

8 If using ganache, spread it over the top and sides at this stage using long strokes with a palate knife dipped in hot water, which will help get a smooth finish.

To decorate: chocolate ganache

1 Place cream in a saucepan and just bring to boiling point, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow to cool for two to three minutes before stirring together until the chocolate melts and is combined and looks glossy. Allow to cool and use when it is spreadable. You can also add some chocolate shards if you like, as pictured (above left).

Mushroom meringues

Makes 12 large or 15-20 small

You can use one of two methods here. The first method is called Swiss meringue and the second method is French meringue. Wash the bowl and utensils in very hot water before commencing as any trace of fat will prevent your egg white from whipping. Ensure there is no trace of egg yolk in the white as this, too, will interfere with the whites whipping properly.

Method one

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/gas mark two). Cover two large baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.

2 Put the egg whites and sugar in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is quite warm to touch. Whisk in a food mixer until stiff, glossy and cool – about 20-25 minutes.

3 Spoon or pipe the meringues on to the baking tray. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, if using. Place the trays in the oven, turn down the oven to 100°C (200°F/¼ gas) and bake for 90 minutes. Allow the meringues to cool in the oven.

Method two

1 Follow the procedure for the oven and trays as in method one.

2 Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy. Begin to add your sugar, spoon by spoon, making sure each spoon is well incorporated before adding the next. Continue this until all the sugar is used and the egg whites are very stiff and glossy.

3 Continue as in method one.

This recipe can be used to make a meringue roulade. When you have a thick glossy meringue, spread it on a Swiss roll tin lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake at 180°C (350°F/gas mark four) for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool and fill with fresh cream and fruit of your choice.

Piping meringue mushrooms

1 Place the meringue mixture in a piping bag with a medium-sized plain tip and pipe the mushroom caps. You will have a peak on top which you can push down with a moist finger.

2 For the stems, pipe a ½ inch base and continue piping, lifting your bag straight up and tapering as you go, finishing in a point.

3 Bake in a preheated oven at 100°C (200°F/ ¼ gas) for around 90 minutes until dry and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before assembling. Be careful as they are delicate.

4 To assemble the mushroom, make a hole with a skewer in the underside of the cap. Using melted white chocolate, apply a little to the point of the stem and push it into the cap. Allow to set undisturbed. A little cocoa powder sprinkled over the top makes them look very realistic. CL