Page 442 - YC Cooking School

A Very Merry Festive Feast

yuppiechef.com/cooking-school.htm

Tips for an irresistible festive dessert

Tips for the sponge base

Ace the base
The base of the chocolate yule log is essentially an aerated soft sponge cake onto which
you’ll spread various delicious preparations before rolling it up. Making a success of the
base involves a few key steps which, although they may seem time consuming, are essential
to your success. First things first, brush your baking tray with melted butter, line it with a
sheet of baking paper, then brush the baking paper with melted butter and sprinkle with

flour. This creates a buffer so that the sponge base will detach easily when rolling.

Go for an even break
Crack the eggs onto a flat surface to get an even break. This makes separating them much
easier and minimises the amount of broken eggshell you’ll have to fish out.

Look out for the ribbon stage when creaming
The “ribbon stage” is the texture that an egg and sugar mixture reaches after it’s been
whipped or beaten for a short while - usually about three to four minutes. You’ll know the
mixture is ready when it starts to whiten and, when lifted up with a whisk, forms a trail that

looks like a hanging ribbon. This means that enough air has been incorporated into the
mixture and that the sugar has begun to dissolve.

Whisk the egg white mixture until it reaches stiff peaks
Whisked egg white can have two consistencies: soft peaks and stiff peaks. Soft peaks are
usually used for soufflés, while stiff peaks are better suited to pastry preparations and

1/4