Tatin Christmas yule log with cocoa beans

Ingredients

• 2good-sized apples
• 40 gsugar
• 40 gbutter
• 2 ggrated cocoa bean
• 200 gwhole milk
• 2 sheets (4 g)gelatine
• 30 ghoney (or maple syrup)
• 190 gwhite chocolate
• 250 gmascarpone
• 200 gdouble cream (30% fat)
• 25 gpecans
• 15 gunsalted cashews
• 55 gbutter, at room temperature
• 50 gcaster sugar
• 40 gsoft brown sugar
• 4 dropsliquid vanilla
• 1 small (30 g)egg
• 120 gplain flour
• 2 g (½ teaspoon)baking powder
• 1 g (¼ teaspoon)salt
• 25 gsalted butter
• 2 largeapples
• 12.5 g (1 tablespoon)sugar
• 1 sheetgelatine
• 50 gmascarpone or thick cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the insert

   Heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring regularly until they form a caramel. Take the pan off the heat and pour the caramel into an 18 cm ovenproof mould, or leave it in the pan if it is oven-safe.

2. 2

   Bake the apples

   Preheat the oven to 190°C. Peel and quarter the apples, remove the cores, then arrange the quarters in the pan or mould. Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool a little, transfer to a cling-film-lined insert mould and freeze.

3. 3

   Infuse the milk

   Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water. Heat the milk with the grated cocoa bean; take it off the heat as soon as it boils and leave to infuse for 20–30 minutes.

4. 4

   Make the ganache

   Reheat the milk without letting it boil. Add the gelatine and honey and stir well, then pour over the previously melted white chocolate and mix until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in a mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone and blend with a stick blender, then add the cream and blend again. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

5. 5

   Mix the biscuit

   Chop the pecans and cashews and set aside. In a bowl, mix the softened butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth. Add the baking powder, salt and flour and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped nuts.

6. 6

   Chill the dough

   Roll the dough into a rectangle 1 cm thick, adjusting its size to fit your yule-log mould. Refrigerate for 1 hour. After 50 minutes, preheat the oven to 170°C.

7. 7

   Bake the biscuit

   Bake the cookie biscuit for 20 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, cut it into a rectangle to fit the mould and leave it to cool on a wire rack.

8. 8

   Cook the apples

   Melt the salted butter in a saucepan. Add the peeled, diced apples and cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle over the sugar. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Set the apple cream

   While the apples cook, soak the gelatine sheet in cold water to soften it. When the apples are very tender, take the pan off the heat and blend them with a stick blender or in a blender. Add the mascarpone and gelatine and mix well. Spread the mixture on a tray to about 1 cm thick, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then freeze.

10. 10

    Whip the ganache

    Whisk the chilled ganache until it is firm. Generously line the yule-log mould with it.

11. 11

    Layer the fillings

    Place the frozen Tatin apple insert down the centre and press it gently so ganache surrounds it. Pipe a little more ganache over the top and smooth with a small spatula. Add a rectangle of apple cream cut to fit, followed by the cookie biscuit rectangle, leaving ½ cm on each side.

12. 12

    Freeze and serve

    Press the layers gently into place, pipe the remaining ganache around the edges and level it with a spatula. Freeze for at least 6 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

What is a Tatin Christmas yule log?

A bûche de Noël is a French Christmas dessert shaped like a log, often built from layers of sponge and cream. This version borrows the caramelised apples of tarte Tatin and sets them inside a frozen, layered yule log.

The contrasts are what make it work: soft apple, airy cocoa-bean ganache, a smooth apple cream and a crisp-edged cookie base. The frozen assembly also helps the layers hold their shape when sliced.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 670 calories, 9g protein, 44g carbs, 49g fat.

The apples, sugars, honey, white chocolate and flour provide most of the carbohydrates, while the butter, cream, mascarpone, white chocolate and nuts contribute most of the fat. The egg, dairy and nuts supply some protein, though this is primarily a rich dessert. Balance a slice with fresh fruit, or serve it after a lighter main course.

The caramelised apple insert

Caramel first: cook the butter and sugar until they form caramel, stirring regularly so the mixture heats evenly. Arrange the apple quarters in the caramel before baking, then allow them to cool slightly before transferring them to the insert mould.

Freeze fully: a solid insert is easier to place in the ganache without breaking apart. Line the mould with cling film to make it easier to remove the insert.

Infusing and whipping the ganache

Cocoa bean: steep it in the hot milk for 20–30 minutes to flavour the base, then warm the milk again without boiling it before adding the gelatine and honey. Pouring the mixture over melted white chocolate helps it blend into a smooth ganache.

Cold rest: refrigerate the ganache overnight before whipping. It needs to be thoroughly chilled to become firm; stop whisking once it holds its shape.

Getting the biscuit and apple cream right

Cookie dough: chill it for an hour before baking so it is easier to handle and cut. Use the yule-log mould as a guide for the rectangle, and leave the baked biscuit to cool before assembly.

Apple cream: cook the diced apples until very tender, then blend them before adding the mascarpone and softened gelatine. Spread the mixture about 1 cm thick so it can chill and freeze as a neat layer.

Layering the yule log

Build from the outside in: line the mould generously with whipped ganache, centre the frozen Tatin insert, then add a little more ganache over it. The apple cream and biscuit go on top, with the biscuit cut to leave about ½ cm on each side.

Fill the edges with the remaining ganache and level the base with a spatula. Freeze for at least 6 hours, then allow 4 hours in the refrigerator before serving so the log is ready to cut.

Serving and timing

This dessert depends on advance chilling: the ganache needs an overnight rest, while the assembled log needs at least 6 hours in the freezer and 4 hours in the refrigerator. Plan those resting periods around the active preparation rather than treating the listed total time as all hands-on work.

Serve chilled in slices, with a sharp knife for clean layers. A small portion pairs well with fresh fruit or a simple fruit salad, which adds a fresh contrast to the rich cream and chocolate.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use an oven-safe pan for the caramel only if it can also safely go into the oven.
• Cut the biscuit and apple cream to the dimensions of your mould before assembling.
• Make sure the ganache is thoroughly chilled before whisking it.
• Use cling film to line the insert mould so the frozen apples are easier to release.
• Keep the log frozen until its 4-hour refrigerator thaw before serving.

Variations

• Maple version: use maple syrup in place of the honey in the ganache.
• Nut swap: use another chopped nut in place of the pecans or cashews.
• More cocoa aroma: add a little extra grated cocoa bean to the milk infusion.
• Apple choice: use a firm cooking apple that holds its shape during baking.
• Individual servings: assemble the layers in smaller moulds, adjusting their size to the moulds.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Boiling the milk again: it can affect the ganache texture; warm it gently after the infusion.
• Whipping warm ganache: it will not firm properly; chill it overnight first.
• Using a soft insert: it can be difficult to position; freeze the Tatin apples before assembly.
• Cutting warm biscuit: it may crumble; cool it completely on a wire rack first.
• Skipping the final thaw: the log will be too hard to slice; refrigerate it for 4 hours before serving.

How to store

Keep the assembled yule log frozen until needed, then thaw it in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator and eat within 2 days; do not reheat.

Frequently asked questions