Recipe for one 40x60 cm baking tray
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the eggs. Refrigerate to rest. Roll out to a thickness of 2 mm. Rest. Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 150°C (302°F) for approximately 20 mn. Leave to cool.
Recipe for two Flexipat® sheets
Whisk the egg whites, add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff. Sift and add the flour, starch, icing sugar and ground almonds. Add the milk, a little at a time. Spread 1 400 g into a Flexipat®. Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 170°C (338°F) for approximately 40 mn.
Heat the water and sugar to 117°C (243°F). Add the hot seeds and nuts and stir until evenly coated and the sugar has re-crystallized. Add the fine “fleur de sel” sea salt. Leave to cool.
1 200 g per 35x55 cm frame
Make a pale caramel with the sugar. Stop the cooking process by adding the hot cream, glucose, butter, fine “fleur de sel” seat salt and vanilla. Pour onto the cocoa butter then add the chocolate. Stir in the sunflower seeds and pour into a frame positioned on top of the cooked shortbread pastry. Freeze. Cut out 6 cm x 50 cm strips.
Make a pale caramel. Make threads on baking parchment using a spatula.
Make a brown caramel. Stop the cooking process by adding the milk and the hot cream (1). Add the dissolved gelatine, mascarpone and cream (2). Blend and refrigerate (minimum 6 h). Whip 1 400 g of caramel Chantilly. Spread 700 g into a frame (35x55 cm) positioned on top of the soft almond biscuit sponge. Insert the caramel threads (approximately 100 g) and cover with 700 g of caramel Chantilly then the 2nd biscuit sponge. Freeze. Cut out 5 cm x 50 cm strips. The remaining caramel Chantilly will be used to decorate the Yule logs.
Bring the milk and sugar to the boil and add the eggs and egg yolks. Heat to 70°C (158°F). Whisk to make a bombe mixture. Bring the whipping cream to the boil and pour onto the chocolate. At 50°C (122°F), add the dissolved gelatine and fold in the whipped cream. Finish by adding the bombe mixture.
Heat the sugar and water to 117°C (243°F). Add the chopped, toasted hazelnuts and stir until evenly coated and the sugar has re-crystallized. Leave to cool. Melt the milk couverture chocolate then add the melted cocoa butter, grape seed oil and sugar coated hazelnuts. Use at 33°C (91°F).
Combine all the ingredients in a mixer. Bake in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 15 mn. Leave to cool and toss in sparkly gold powder.
Pipe the chocolate mousse into square Yule log moulds. Insert the caramel Chantilly. Pipe chocolate mousse on top to cover. Finish with strips of shortbread pastry and caramel. Freeze.
Remove from the mould and spray with velvety praline. Dip each end of the Yule log into the milk chocolate and hazelnut mixture. Whip the remaining caramel Chantilly and pipe on a few dots. Use a paper cone, filled with dark chocolate, to make twig shapes in the cocoa powder. Finish with small balls of Cream Cheese crumble rolled in gold powder.