Guanaja, Pear and Cookie Yule Log

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C) using the traditional heat setting with the rack at the bottom of the oven.

• Beat the butter with the sugars.

• Then, add the eggs, whisking quickly to incorporate.

• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flours, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.

• Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.

• Whisk until you obtain a homogeneous mixture, without working it too hard.

• Incorporate the chopped walnuts with an electric whisk.

• Chop the Guanaja 70% chocolate, then incorporate it.

• If necessary, stir again with a spatula so that the Guanaja 70% chocolate and walnuts are evenly distributed.

• Spread the cookie dough into a 1cm-thick rectangle so that it is slightly larger than the base of the Yule log mold.

• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, remove from oven, and leave to cool on the tray.

• Melt the Guanaja 70% chocolate in a bain-marie, then add the praliné and crispy wafer pieces.

• Cut the cooled cookie into a rectangle smaller than the log mold (if your mold is 25cm long by 8cm wide, cut it into a rectangle 24 × 7cm in diameter).

• Spread the crisp onto the cut-out cookie.

• Allow the cookie with the crisp spread over it to set in the freezer for 1 hour.

• Pour the pear purée into a saucepan and warm over low heat.

• In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and pectin NH thoroughly.

• Once the purée reaches around 105°F (40°C), gently add the mixed sugar and pectin.

• Stir vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.

• Fill the silicon insert of your log with this confit and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

• Soak the gelatin in a large quantity of cold water for about twenty minutes.

• Melt the Guanaja 70% chocolate.

• Bring the milk to a boil and add the wrung-out gelatin.

• Pour approximately ⅓ of the hot liquid over the melted chocolate and mix using a spatula to obtain a smooth, elastic, and shiny texture, the sign that an emulsion is beginning to form.

• Add the remaining milk, taking care to maintain this texture.

• Use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream into a frothy chantilly cream.

• When the chocolate mixture drops to a temperature of 85/95°F (30/35°C), gently add the frothy whipped cream using a spatula.

• Fill half of the Yule log mold with this mixture.

• Then, position the pear confit insert (previously turned out) and the upsidedown cookie (crisp side first, facing the bottom of the mold).

• Finish filling the Yule log mold with the remaining light mousse up to the top of the mold.

• Place in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours.

• Soak the gelatin in a large quantity of cold water for about twenty minutes.

• Place the unmelted Guanaja 70% chocolate fèves, concentrated milk, and gelatin (which you have allowed to dry) into a mixing bowl.

• Bring the water, sugar, and glucose to a boil in a saucepan.

• Pour over the mixture in the mixing bowl.

• Mix using an immersion blender, taking care not to incorporate air (so as not to create bubbles in the glaze), and wait until the glaze has dropped back to 95°F (35°C) before using it.

• Remove the frozen Yule log from the mold.

• Transfer the Guanaja 70% glaze into a jug and evenly distribute it over the log positioned on a rack.

• Immediately remove the Yule log from the rack using a spatula and a small paring knife, and place it on your serving plate.

• Leave to defrost for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.

• Wash the pears with clean water.

• Using a small paring knife, cut thin slices of pears that you have purposely chosen for their firmness.

• If you are not serving your Yule log immediately after decorating it with your pear segments, soak them for a few minutes in lemon water (cold water + a few drops of lemon juice) so that they do not go brown.

• Arrange the pear slices in staggered rows on top of your previously iced log.