Vanilla, caramel and milk chocolate yule log

Instructions

Vanilla Joconde sponge
Line a 30 x23 cm baking tray with baking paper, grease the paper and set aside.
Heat fan oven at 390F - 200°C.
Melt the butter and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, pour icing sugar, almond powder, flour and salt, combined and sifted.
Add the eggs and vanilla, and with a hand mixer, whip the mixture on high speed for about
3 minutes until light.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites adding granulated sugar in 2 or 3 batches unti soft
peaks form.
Add the melted butter to the whipped eggs and gently mix to combine.
Then, add the soft meringue in 2 or 3 batches with a rubber spatula until completely
incorporated.
Pour the mixture in a pastry bag and pipe 230/260 g in the prepared tray.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Out of the oven, turn the biscuit upside down onto another sheet of clean baking paper
and remove the baking sheet gently.
Leave to cool completely.
From the biscuit, cut out a rectangle of 23x7 cm.
Set aside.

Milk chocolate crunchy layer
Melt the chocolate, add the Crêpe dentelle and combine with a rubber spatula.
With a small spatula, spread a thin layer on the joconde sponge.
Let the chocolate to hard and set aside to assemble (I prepared the layer and froze).

Dulcey crémeux
Soak gelatin in water.
Prepare a basic custard with yolks, sugar, milk and cream, cooking the mixture until 179F - 82°C, stirring constantly.
Out of the heat, weigh the required amount of custard (160 g) and add wringed and melted gelatin.
Stir to melt.
Place the chopped chocolate and salt in a jug, add the custard and mix with a hand blender until shine and smooth.
Pour 250 g of the crémeux inside the mould.
Refrigerate for 3 or hours.

Milk chocolate namelaka
Soak gelatin powder (or sheets) in cold water.
Melt white chocolate.
Heat the milk with glucose until 160F - 70°C, add wringed and melted gelatin and stir to
combine.
Pour the mixture over the chocolate in 3 batches, emulsifying well with a rubber spatula.
Add cold whipping cream, mixing well with a hand blender.
Pour 165 g of namelaka over the dulcey crémeux.
Refrigerate for 4/5 hours, then freeze for almost 24 hours.

Light white chocolate and vanilla mousse
Soak gelatin in cold water.
Melt chocolate with vanilla seeds and set aside.
Heat milk at 160F - 70°C with the vanilla pod.
Out of the heat, remove the pod, add wringed and melted gelatin and stir to combine.
Add the milk, 1/3 at a time in the melted chocolate,mixing well with a rubber spatula.
When the mixture is about 105F - 40°C, add whipped cream in 2 or 3 batches.



To assemble
Pour 395 g light mousse into the mould and freeze for about 10 minutes.
Place in the middle the frozen crémeux and namelaka, press a little, pipe 130 g of mousse.
Freeze for a few minutes.
Place the joconde sponge (with the crunchy layer downward), fill if needed the edges with mousse (about 50 g) and smooth with a small spatula.
Freeze for about 24/36 hours.

To serve
Remove the log from the mould and spray with velvet spray.
Refrigerate for about 12 hours.
Before serving, garnish with chocolate and gold leaves.
Enjoy!