Cocoa Bûche de Noël with Mint & Pistachio
Part 1: Cocoa Pate Sable
Ingredients
Method- 75g Butter
- 38g Confectioner’s Sugar
- ½ Vanilla Bean or ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Xxtract
- 25g Eggs (lightly beaten)
- 88g Pastry Flour
- 15g Terra Rosa Cocoa Powder
- Preheat oven to 165ºC. Prepare a sheet tray with baking paper or a silpat.
- In a mixing bowl add the butter, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Cream together until smooth and light in colour.
- Gradually add the eggs, beating well in between each addition.
- Add flour and cocoa powder and mix, making sure to scrape the bowl down to be sure all ingredients are fully blend into the dough.
- Transfer from the bowl to a flattened piece of plastic film wrap. Wrap and cool in the refrigerator until firm.
- Once firm roll out to 2mm thickness and transfer to a sheet tray. Bake for about 7 minutes or until firm to touch.
- Take out of the oven and cut to a 25cm x 11cm rectangle (if using a silpat, transfer to a cutting board or a flat surface before cutting). Note: cut when warm to achieve a clean edge.
Part 2: Cocoa Pistachio Genoise
Ingredients
Method- 281g Eggs
- 188g Caster Sugar
- 110g Cake Flour
- 40g Pistachio Flour
- 40g Terra Rossa Cocoa Powder
- 63g Butter (melted)
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Baking Instructions: Sheet Trays: <1kg Weight - 190ºC for 15-20 minutes or >1kg Weight- 200ºC for 6-10 minutes
Let cool completely before assembly
- Preheat oven to 180ºC. Prepare sheet tray with baking paper and lightly grease.
- Prepare a bain-marie.
- Sift cake flour and cocoa powder together and set aside until ready to use.
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Set over the bain-marie and whisk until mixture comes to 40-42ºC.
- Once at proper temperature, transfer bowl to a mixing machine with a whisk attachment (this step can also be done with a hand-mixer).
- Whisk at high speed until mixture is light and thick (about 10 minutes).
- Add vanilla extract and cherry liquor, in a steady stream.
- Remove bowl from machine.
- Gently fold in the cake flour and cocoa powder. Do this in 3-4 stages being careful not to deflate the batter.
- Once flour has been combined, slowly stream in melted butter whilst folding the batter. Fold butter until completely combined being careful not to overmix.
- Transfer batter to sheet tray.
- Once baked, flip over the genoise by placing a baking paper over the top and either with another sheet tray or just with the baking paper, flip the genoise over and carefully peel off the baking paper.
- Cut to 25cm x 9cm. Set aside until ready to use.
Part 3: Mint Mousse
Ingredients
Method- 180g Milk
- 10g Fresh Mint
- 8 Drops of Mint Extract
- 100g Egg Yolks
- 95g Caster Sugar
- 55g Crimson Red Cocoa Powder
- 110g Cocoa Butter
- 175g Cream
- In a cooled mixing bowl add the cream. Whip to medium peaks. Set aside in a refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a saucepan add the milk and fresh mint. Bring to a soft boil. Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
- Strain and reweigh the milk topping up to 180ml if needed.
- Add the cocoa butter to a heat proof bowl and over a bain-marie, melt completely whilst ensuring you don't exceed 45ºC. Once at the correct temperature add the cocoa powder and blend thoroughly to temper and eliminate any lumps (best with hand-blender).
- Set aside cocoa mixture.
- In a bowl add egg yolks and sugar and beat until well combined.
- Bring the milk and mint extract back to a simmer.
- Temper egg yolk mixture with ¼ of the milk by pouring gradually and stirring at the same time (preventing your egg yolk mixture from over heating).
- Add egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan with remaining milk. Cooking the anglaise on low heat until 81ºC (Nappé) and stirring constantly.
- Once correct temperature is reached, pour through a chinois (sifter) onto cocoa mixture. With a whisk, mix all ingredients thoroughly. Leave to cool down for about 5-10 min depending on the batch size.
- Once your anglaise is at correct temperature (25ºC), fold in the whipped cream 1/3 of the quantity at a time, making sure not to over mix ingredients.
- Transfer to mould immediately. (Refer to assemble method for further instructions).
Part 4: Mirror Glaze
Ingredients
Method- 74g Water
- 206g Sugar
- 71g Terra Rossa Cocoa Powder
- 132g Cream
- 1 Drop Mint Extract
- 8.5g Gelatin
- In a saucepan add the water and sugar, and bring to a full boil (making sure all the sugar is well dissolved).
- In a bowl of cool water bloom your gelatin. Once bloomed squeeze out excess water and set aside until ready for use.
- Add the cream and mint extract to the sugar water, and bring to a boil.
- Add cocoa powder, making sure to stir continuously until reboiled.
- Take off heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then add your gelatin. Blend in with burr-mix (hand-blender) being careful not to incorporate too much air to prevent having bubbles when glazing.
MAKE SURE TO MAKE GLAZE AHEAD OF TIME, TO ACHIEVE PROPER TEMPERATURE FOR GLAZING.
Part 5: Pistachio Feuilletine
Ingredients
Method- 300g Pistachio Praline
- 150g Feuilletine
- 75g White Chocolate
- 1.5g Salt
- Over a bain-marie, melt down the white chocolate.
- Mix white chocolate with the pistachio praline, feuilletine and the salt.
- Reserve until ready to use. Keep at room temperature. (Refer to assemble method for further instructions).
Part 6: Assembly
Method- Start by having Silicone Mould ready on a flat sheet tray.
- Once mousse mixture is ready fill to 2/3 of the way up with mousse, tap to release any air bubbles. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- Add cut pistachio feuilletine on top of the mousse pressing down slightly just so that it sticks.
- Add cut genoise to the top of the feuilletine. Pressing down slightly (it is ok if some of the mousse comes up from the sides).
- Once assembled, freeze for a 2-3 hours until completely firm and frozen.
- Prepare for glazing: start by preparing a sheet tray lined with plastic film wrap.
- Heat glaze to 31ºC.
- Set a wire rack on the top of the prepared sheet tray.
- Have an off-set palette knife and regular palette knife ready.
- On a separate sheet tray lined with baking paper, set the cocoa sable.
- Unmould buche and place on prepared wire rack.
- Pour glaze over buche. Tap sheet tray on table very lightly to help glaze drip evenly.
- Transfer glazed buche onto cocoa sable, cleaning the side with the palette knife.
- Decorate with a fresh mint leaf and/or toasted pistachios.
