Chocolate Roulade

• 4 ½ ounces Bread Flour
• 1 ½ ounces Cocoa powder
• 6 ounces Sugar
• 24 Egg yolks - Use some of these whites in Meringue mushrooms
• 8 Egg Whites
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Method of Preparation

• Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
• Line two jelly Roll pans with Parchment
• Whisk together flour and cocoa, set aside
• With an electric mixer whip the egg yolks, ½ the sugar and the vanilla until thick and pale yellow, set aside
• Whip egg whites with salt until foam begins to form, slowly add the remaining sugar and whip to form a stiff peaked meringue
• Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture to lighten. Then gently fold in the remaining.
• Sprinkle the cocoa/flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold until incorporated thoroughly, do not over mix
• Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 6 minutes , until cake springs back to a gentle touch
• Let cool completely

Fudge Icing

• ¼ cup Melted Butter
• ½ cup Cocoa
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3½ cups Powdered Sugar (10X) sifted

Method of Preparation

• Beat melted butter and cocoa together in an electric mixer
• Add Vanilla
• Slowly add powdered sugar
• Slowly add milk

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 10 egg whites
• 2 ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 pounds butter
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Method of Preparation

• Whisk together whites, sugar and salt in a medium size bowl
• Place sugar and whites mixture over a medium sauce pan of boiling water
• Whisk constantly to ensure the egg whites don't cook. Continue to heat whites until they reach the temperature of 160 degrees
• Once mixture has reached temperature transfer to a electric mixer bowl and whip on highest speed until meringue reaches stiff peaks
• Add all butter in 2 ounce portions to the stiff meringue while whipping on high speed. Whip until smooth, light, white and fluffy
• Add vanilla

Mocha Butter Cream *Professional Tip*

Using your Favorite Buttercream recipe, Create mocha flavor through the addition of Coffee extract.*OR make a paste with instant coffee granules and a small amount of hot water and add to butter cream to reach desired mocha flavor.

Italian Meringue Mushrooms

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 room temperature egg whites

Method of Preparation

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, brushing down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cook until sugar syrup reaches 240°F on an instant read or candy thermometer.
• With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks.
• Pipe out caps and stems of mushroom and bake in a 200 degree F oven for about 2 hours(if the meringues are not completely dry in the middle, turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven while it cools down completely.
• Once meringues are completely dry and cool. Poke a hole in the bottom of the mushroom cap and insert the tip of the stem to assemble the mushroom.

Assembly

• Cut both Chocolate Roulade sheets into 4 inch strips, by cutting a small notch 4 inches apart along the short edge of the sheet and then using a ruler to keep the strips even connect top and bottom notches.
• After cutting Spread a thin and even layer of mocha buttercream of the entirety of both cakes
• Roll the first strip, (the cream side in) into a tight roll. Move the strip over to the start of the next strip and continue rolling, the end of the first roll touching the beginning of the second, and keep adding strips to make a large spiral cake.
• Stop when the cake spiral is 8 inches wide.
• Wrap the cake with a strip of parchment paper and put in the refrigerator to set for about 1 hour.
• ***OPTIONAL*** using your favorite Vanilla cake recipe add an extra layer to the top and bottom of the spiral with a thin layer of fudge icing to hold it together
• Once cake is set up and cold. Cover to top of the cake with a smooth layer of Mocha Buttercream Use small amounts of fudge icing in a swirl pattern to make the appearance of tree rings.
• Ice the sides of the cake with the fudge icing, using upward strokes to give the appearance of bark texture
• Garnish with M&M holly berries, Green Butter cream holly leaves, meringue mushrooms, and Extra chocolate bark on the sides to really give this Yule-tide Dessert a Super Bone fide Yule Log Appearance ……WITH A TWIST.

Once cut the vertical layers created from the inside spiral technique with definitely be the highlight of your Holiday Feast!