Bûche Tatin de Nicolas Boussin

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1To begin this Tatin yule log, we will first prepare the two gelatin masses that we will need.
  2. 2Hydrate the gelatin with six times its weight in water, mix well, then let it hydrate gently in the refrigerator.
  3. 3Repeat the process with a larger quantity, but this time use apple juice instead of water, mix thoroughly, then place this second gelatin mass in the refrigerator.
  4. 4Once the gelatin is ready (no visible liquid left, forming a grainy paste), microwave it only long enough for it to become perfectly liquid, without ever exceeding 40°C.
  5. 5Weigh precisely the amount of gelatin mass needed and return it immediately to the refrigerator to set completely before being used.
  6. 6Now that our gelatin masses are ready, we can move on to the mascarpone cream.
  7. 7For the base of this cream, pour the milk into a small saucepan.
  8. 8Add the granulated sugar and quickly mix the two together.
  9. 9Heat over low heat to completely dissolve the sugar without bringing the milk to a boil.
  10. 10As soon as you notice a slight simmer around the edges, remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.
  11. 11Incorporate the small gelatin mass that was prepared earlier and mix well until it is fully melted.
  12. 12Add the mascarpone and dilute it as thoroughly as possible in this hot mixture.
  13. 13Pour in a small amount of heavy cream and mix roughly.
  14. 14Pour everything back into a narrow container that already contains the remaining cold cream.
  15. 15Gently insert an immersion blender, making sure not to incorporate any air, and blend until the cream is perfectly smooth and homogeneous.
  16. 16Finally, pour everything into a container, cover directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the next day.
  17. 17We now move on to making the Joconde sponge, a light and flexible cake, ideal for our rolled yule log.
  18. 18Start by melting the butter in the bowl of a food processor or a simple blender.
  19. 19Add the whole eggs, the icing sugar, the almond flour, followed by the melted butter.
  20. 20Blend everything at medium speed, ideally maintaining the temperature between 35 and 40 °C if using a cooking processor, to obtain a very smooth and airy batter.
  21. 21While the mixture is blending, whip the egg whites at medium speed.
  22. 22When there is no longer any liquid, unfoamed part in the center of the whisk, gradually add the granulated sugar.
  23. 23During the final seconds, increase the speed to tighten the whites until they are firm yet still supple, forming a nice bird’s beak.
  24. 24Pour one third of the first batter over the egg whites, then gently fold it in using a spatula.
  25. 25Once the mixture is homogeneous, repeat the process with the next third, and so on.
  26. 26Finally, add the flour, which should be sifted beforehand, incorporating it gradually and mixing gently to preserve the volume of the whipped egg whites.
  27. 27Once the mixture is perfectly homogeneous, spread it evenly onto a lightly greased sponge cake mat.
  28. 28Gently shake the tray to level the batter and ensure an even thickness.
  29. 29Bake until the sponge has a nice golden color, no longer sticks to your finger, and springs back when gently pressed.
  30. 30After letting it cool at room temperature, wrap it directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day.
  31. 31Let’s now move on to the insert for our yule log, which will be made with the mascarpone cream.
  32. 32Roll the acetate sheet as tightly as possible, then insert it into the PVC tube.
  33. 33Trim the edges to obtain a perfectly even cylinder, then tape the sheet every 2 to 3 cm to prevent it from unrolling and ensure it keeps its cylindrical shape during filling.
  34. 34After chilling in the refrigerator, the mascarpone cream will have become gelatinous, so whip it at medium speed until it holds well while still remaining slightly supple, keeping about one third unwhipped for later use.
  35. 35To minimize air bubbles, spread the cream flat on your work surface, then transfer it properly into the piping bag using a scraper.
  36. 36Make a fairly wide opening in the piping bag and push the cream down as much as possible.
  37. 37Insert the piping bag as deep as possible into the tube so the cream does not rise back up, then squeeze to fill the cylinder completely, making sure the cream comes out on both sides.
  38. 38Smooth the ends, then place the insert in the freezer until it is completely frozen, optionally leaving it inside the rigid PVC tube to ensure it remains perfectly cylindrical.
  39. 39We will now make the base of our yule log, the element that brings all the crunch we love, a delicious buckwheat crumble.
  40. 40Add all the ingredients (soft butter) into the mixer bowl.
  41. 41Using the paddle attachment, start at low speed and then gradually increase it to prevent flour from flying everywhere.
  42. 42After a few moments, the dough will become very crumbly; if it remains crumbly after 3 to 4 minutes, finish the process by hand by pressing the crumbly dough firmly to form a compact ball.
  43. 43Place the compact ball in the freezer until it hardens sufficiently.
  44. 44Once fully firm, grate it to create nice, large flakes (or roll it out very thinly, to about 1 mm thick, without freezing it beforehand, if you don’t have a grater).
  45. 45Spread the flakes evenly over the tray, avoiding layers that are too thick.
  46. 46Bake until you obtain a nice golden color, then let it cool completely at room temperature to end up with a fairly even crumble.
  47. 47For the next step of our recipe, we will need about 50 g of crumble.
  48. 48To reinforce the base, add cocoa butter to the chocolate to strengthen it further and ensure a base that will hold perfectly at room temperature.
  49. 49Melt everything in the microwave, making sure the temperature never exceeds 45 °C to preserve the quality of the chocolate.
  50. 50Once the chocolate is fully melted, add the remaining ingredients: roughly crush the cornflakes, then add the crumble and a generous pinch of fleur de sel to enhance the caramelized flavor.
  51. 51Gently mix everything together, making sure each piece is well coated with chocolate.
  52. 52Spread this mixture onto a silicone mat, using a 25 × 8 cm frame, to a thickness of 1 cm, gently pressing everything down until you obtain a nice, even rectangle.
  53. 53Remove the frame, then place this structure into the freezer until it is perfectly firm.
  54. 54We now move on to the heart of the recipe: the apples.
  55. 55Start by peeling six to seven apples, then cut them into quarters.
  56. 56Over medium heat, make a dry caramel in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, covering the bottom with a first thin layer of sugar and letting it melt very gently, shaking the pot from time to time instead of stirring.
  57. 57As the sugar fully melts, add another layer of sugar.
  58. 58Right after adding the last portion of sugar, start heating the apple juice in the microwave so it’s hot for the next step.
  59. 59Only at the very end, stir the caramel using an utensil.
  60. 60When the caramel is perfectly liquid and has a beautiful amber color, pour in the hot apple juice in three or four additions to deglaze, being careful of splattering.
  61. 61Carefully add the large gelatin mass that was prepared with the apple juice and stir until it is completely melted.
  62. 62Now poach the apples by adding only the first half (as it’s not possible to add all at once), stirring regularly to ensure they cook evenly.
  63. 63As soon as the apples are tender all the way through (10 to 15 minutes), stop the cooking, then let them drain on a perforated tray and use them once they are lukewarm.
  64. 64Continue poaching the remaining apples in the syrup left in the pot.
  65. 65Let’s now move on to the most technical and exciting part, the assembly of the yule log.
  66. 66Take the Joconde sponge out of the refrigerator and turn it over onto a large sheet of parchment paper, unmolding should be effortless.
  67. 67Cut a 15 × 25 cm rectangle, ideally from the center of the sponge where the thickness is the most even.
  68. 68Turn the sponge over and spread a thin layer of cream using the remaining cream (loosened slightly with a whisk at the last moment) evenly over the entire surface.
  69. 69Place the frozen insert 2 to 3 cm from the edge.
  70. 70Use the tip of a knife to lift the corner of the sponge, then stick it to the cylinder and roll tightly, being careful not to crush the sponge.
  71. 71If you can't close the sponge edge to edge on the first try, press where the sponge overlaps to create a clean, defined seam, then trim the excess sponge following this line.
  72. 72Secure everything by wrapping it tightly in parchment paper and place it in the freezer.
  73. 73The next step is to wrap the poached apples around this cylinder.
  74. 74Arrange the apple quarters tightly packed against each other on a new acetate sheet measuring 25 by 40 cm, within a frame measuring 25 × 18 cm with a thickness of 1 cm, being careful not to overlap them.
  75. 75If you have large gaps, fill them with apple trimmings, but the less you need to do this, the more elegant your yule log will be.
  76. 76Once the surface is fully covered, place a guitar sheet or parchment paper on top and press everything down using a tray to compact and even out the thickness of the apple layer.
  77. 77Carefully remove the guitar sheet.
  78. 78Reposition the frame if needed and remove the spacers.
  79. 79Place the cylinder 5 cm from the edge, lift the corner of the acetate sheet with the tip of a knife, and wrap the apples around the cylinder, applying even pressure and rolling fairly tightly.
  80. 80Check that the apple layer closes neatly edge to edge, and reposition any apple quarters that may be sticking out on the sides.
  81. 81Finally, secure everything by firmly taping the acetate, and let it rest on the least attractive side (along the seam).
  82. 82Freeze it for the final set.
  83. 83We’ve finally reached the final stage: finishing.
  84. 84Remove the yule log from the freezer, then carefully peel off the acetate.
  85. 85Check that the yule log doesn’t have any large gaps; if it does, you can always fill them with the remaining apple trimmings, keeping in mind that this is not always the most visually appealing solution.
  86. 86To prevent the yule log from rolling on the serving platter, identify the least attractive side, and using a peeler or a very sharp knife, remove a small amount of material to create a flat, stable base.
  87. 87At this stage, you can choose to trim the ends for clean edges, or do it after glazing, then put it back in the freezer while preparing the next step.
  88. 88Finally, apply a neutral glaze at around 35 °C on the still-frozen yule log, ideally with a spray gun, or using a brush to ensure the entire surface is evenly coated.
  89. 89All that’s left is to carefully transfer the yule log onto its crunchy base.
  90. 90For the decoration, use mascarpone cream that was frozen in a quenelle-shaped mold, as well as a vanilla pod that was previously used and dried.

Ingredients

  • 6 parts gelatin
  • 1 part water
  • apple juice
  • milk
  • granulated sugar
  • mascarpone
  • heavy cream
  • butter
  • whole eggs
  • icing sugar
  • almond flour
  • egg whites
  • flour
  • buckwheat flour
  • cocoa butter
  • caramelized chocolate
  • cornflakes
  • pinch fleur de sel
  • 6 to 7 apples
  • neutral glaze
  • vanilla pod

Equipment

small saucepanimmersion blenderfood processorspatulasponge cake matacetate sheetPVC tubeadhesive tapepiping bagmixerpaddle attachmentgratersilicone mat25 x 8 cm framelarge saucepanDutch ovenperforated trayparchment paperknife25 x 18 cm frameguitar sheettraypeelerspray gunbrushquenelle-shaped mold

Tips

  • When making a gelatin mass, hydrate gelatin with six times its weight in water or apple juice and let it hydrate in the refrigerator until no liquid is visible.
  • When melting gelatin, microwave it just until liquid, without exceeding 40°C.
  • To ensure a smooth mascarpone cream, blend it with an immersion blender without incorporating air.
  • For a light Joconde sponge, incorporate sifted flour gradually and gently to preserve the volume of the whipped egg whites.
  • When whipping egg whites, add sugar gradually when there is no unfoamed liquid part in the center of the whisk, then increase speed to tighten them until firm but supple.
  • To minimize air bubbles in the piping bag, spread the cream flat on your work surface before transferring it.
  • When filling the cylindrical insert, insert the piping bag as deep as possible into the tube to prevent the cream from rising back up.
  • For the buckwheat crumble, if the dough remains crumbly after mixing, finish by hand to form a compact ball, then freeze before grating for nice flakes.
  • When reinforcing the crumble base with chocolate, add cocoa butter to strengthen it and ensure it holds at room temperature.
  • To make a dry caramel for the apples, cover the bottom of the pot with a thin layer of sugar and let it melt gently, shaking the pot occasionally instead of stirring with a utensil.
  • When deglazing caramel, pour hot apple juice in three or four additions carefully to avoid splattering.
  • To poach apples evenly, add them in batches and stir regularly until tender.
  • When assembling the yule log, roll the Joconde sponge tightly around the mascarpone cream insert, pressing any overlap to create a clean seam.
  • When wrapping the poached apples around the sponge cylinder, arrange them tightly packed without overlapping, then press with a tray to compact and even out the layer.

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