tradition of the log and chef's recipe

The tradition of the log has not always been edible

You would think everything about Christmas has its origins in Christian culture, but this story will prove you wrong.
The tradition of the log in December was born during the great Indo-European migratory movements, around 2,500 BC. Few writings can attest to this but the tradition has settled.

This consisted, on the occasion of the winter solstice, when the day is the shortest (and therefore the night, the longest), around December 21, to put a large log in the hearth and let it stand. slowly consume. The species of wood chosen (often a fruit tree to burn slowly) differed between regions.
This large log was intended to promote the good harvests of the year to come.
Thus, it appears that we sometimes poured wine on the ax to hope for a good harvest, or salt to ward off witches, or even oil as an offering.

The gesture of depositing the large piece of wood was performed by the eldest of the family accompanied by the younger, as a sign of transmission.

Over time, tradition has slipped. With the Christian religion, we came to put down our bpuche on Christmas day, wishing to keep it until Epiphany, that is to say for 12 days symbolizing the 12 months of the year to come. And overperstition wanted us to keep the embers that we could take out and put back on the fire, in the event of a hard blow.

How did we go from wood to chocolate?

Historians find it difficult to attribute the authorship (or maternity) of the dessert, icon of the holiday tables, to a particular pastry chef. However, they agree that the wood turned into chocolate cream or ganache in the course of the 19th century.
The theses vary and do not converge: would it be a pastry chef from Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the chocolatier from the Lyon region Bonnat? In any case, around 1870, recipes for biscuits rolled with buttercream, most often chocolate, appeared.

Since then, the recipe has evolved over the years and tastes, and the chocolate log is interpreted in a host of recipes.

Here are some recipes that may help you:

See also in video
>> The classic sponge cake recipe:

The chefs recipe for the chocolate log

It is at the restaurant La Maison de Petit Pierre, in Béziers, that the noted chef Pierre Augé officiates with his pastry chef Geoffrey Djami. Together, they concocted a tasty traditional chocolate log, which your taste buds will remember for a long time.
It consists of a sacher-style cookie (famous Austrian chocolate cake), a hazelnut praline and a creamy three-chocolate mousse.

To note : This recipe is not made from a gelatin machine and does not contain any fruit, but you can completely customize it with pieces of orange, pear, raspberry. However, we recommend that you stay focused on the flavor of the chocolates. Few coffee lovers will prefer to drink it rather than add it to the recipe.

The recipe is for 8 to 10 guests and can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance.
Preparation time: around 1h30
Baking the cookie: 15 min
Standing time in the refrigerator: one night

Cooking tools
A log mold (to shop online, € 19.99 on Amazon)
Small and medium saucepans
Bowls and salad bowls
Baking paper
Electric mixer and mixer (a pastry robot is the ideal tool, order here)
Whisk, spatulas …

INGREDIENTS

For the sacher biscuit:

• 160 g of quality almond paste (50% almonds)
• 85 g caster sugar
• 50 g of 72% cocoa chocolate
• 40 g flour
• 30g butter
• 3 whole eggs

For the praline:

• 500 g of chopped hazelnuts
• 300g sugar
• 10 cl of water

For the chocolate creams:
Dark chocolate cream

• 375 g liquid cream with 35% fat
• 100 g 72% dark chocolate
• 40 g icing sugar
• 2.5 cl of whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod

Milk chocolate cream

• 375 g 35% liquid cream mg
• 100 g milk chocolate
• 40 g icing sugar
• 2.5 cl whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod

White chocolate creamvs

• 375 g liquid cream, 35% mg
• 100 g white chocolate
• 2.5 cl whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod

See also on aufeminin:
>> The easy log, rolled cake style
>> Our great dessert ideas to delight your festive menus

RECIPE

Steps of the sacher biscuit (for the base):
1. In a bowl, put the chocolate and the butter to melt in the microwave. Book. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
3. Mix the almond paste with 45 g caster sugar + an egg yolk to soften it. Then add 2 more egg yolks and mix well (with a mixer) to make it foam. Book.
4. Beat 3 egg whites with the remaining 40 g of sugar to obtain a meringue.
5. Gently mix the almond paste mixture with the meringue egg whites then add the melted chocolate / butter mixture and incorporate (still gently, with a spatula).
6. Finally, pour the flour through a sieve, stirring gently until combined.
7. Spread out the preparation on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, about 1 cm thick (no less) so as to have a rectangle corresponding to the base of your log mold.
8. Bake at 180 ° C for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Be careful, this cookie being soft, it is very fragile to handle.

Steps of the hazelnut praline:
1. Make a syrup by mixing water + sugar, and bring to the boil, then leave for 3 minutes on high heat for it to take.
2. Pour the whole hazelnuts into your syrup. Reduce heat to low, and mix constantly until caramelized.
3. Place the caramelized hazelnuts, separating them well, to cool on a baking sheet until cool. Then put them in a blender, to obtain a praline texture.

Steps of the three creams:
For each cream, proceed in the same way, but separately. A cream for the dark chocolate, another for the milk chocolate, a third for the white chocolate, do not mix them. You can prepare them one after the other.
1. In a double boiler pan, melt the chocolate.
2. In another saucepan, pour 125 g of liquid cream with the milk, the split and scraped vanilla bean, and the icing sugar and heat.
3. Pour the preparation in 3 batches over the melted chocolate (excluding a bain-marie of course) and beat the fork or with a small whisk to create an emulsion. Once the mixture is homogeneous, add the remaining cold cream. Check again that the mixture is smooth; Pass it through a colander if necessary.
4. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
5. The next day, beat with a mixer in each cream in order to have a whipped cream consistency, then pour into a pastry bag.

Video by Anne-Laure Mayor

TRAINING OF THE LOG
Line the mold with the different creams successively in thin layers, that is to say line the edges. Then fill the inside by alternating layers of cream and praline in layers, to obtain layers of different flavors.
Finish by closing the mold with the biscuit and put to rest in the freezer overnight (or more) so that the log freezes. Turn out at least 4 hours before serving and decorate with a nice melted chocolate icing for example.

See as well :
>> How to make a super icing here.

If you are lucky enough to live in the South, you can even order your Christmas menu at La Maison de Petit Pierre. Otherwise try this recipe!