[dropcap type=”circle”]P[/dropcap]reparations are now well under way in the kitchen at Croxfords. In this post, Suzan shares one of her favourite Christmas recipes, and also talks about clever canapes that can be made in advance and frozen-to take the pressure off.
Continuing with our Christmas on ice theme here is the recipe for an excellent party pudding. Light as a feather and not cloyingly sweet, it’s the dessert of choice in our house on Christmas Day. Once filled and rolled it can be wrapped in its paper and a double layer of foil before being placed in your freezer. All that is left to do on the day of serving is the last minute decoration and I have been known to do this on Christmas Eve in readiness for the Big Day that follows; the log seems to keep perfectly well overnight before being greedily devoured twenty four hours later.
Don’t be put off by the rolling of the sponge – it is easy and quick and any cracks that show will be slathered in cream and chocolate anyway.
Chocolate Chestnut Log (serves 10) – you will need a Swiss-roll tin 32x23cm, greased and lined
Pre-heat the oven to 180 dg c
For the base:
6 eggs – size 1
150g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder, sifted
A little icing sugar
For the filling:
240g tin of crème de marron (sweetened chestnut puree)
8 whole candied chestnuts (marron glace) roughly chopped
1 tablespoon double cream
For the decoration:
275ml double cream
50g dark chocolate (melted)
Holly leaves to decorate the platter
Separate the eggs. Using an electric whisk, whisk the egg yolks until they start to pale and thicken, add the sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens a little more. Whisk in the cocoa powder until it’s thoroughly blended.
Wash the whisk head and when dry whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Spoon some of the egg whites into the chocolate mix to loosen it and then fold the remainder in until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes until it is well risen and puffy – it’s important NOT to overcook it. When removed from the oven it will sink down quite a lot but this is what it should do. Let it cool completely, then invert onto a sheet of greaseproof or silicone paper, about 2.5cm larger all round than the Swiss-roll tin, that has been sprinkled with some icing sugar. Peel off the paper carefully.
For the filling, empty the contents of the chestnut puree into a bowl add 1 tablespoon of the cream and mix well. Spread the mixture carefully over the sponge base and sprinkle the chopped candied chestnuts over. Now take the edge of the paper and roll the base lengthways into a long roll transferring it onto a plate. Remove the paper carefully. You may now freeze the log it not eating straight away.
To finish the pudding you need to cut two diagonal pieces off at each end; these are to represent the branches and should be about 5cm at their widest part. Place on one on each side of the log, cut-side down. Now to add the snow! Beat the double cream until it is just spreadable – be very careful not to overbeat. Spread the cream evenly all over the log and branches than drizzle a little trickle of chocolate up and down the length of the log, take a fork and working only lengthways, blend the chocolate lightly into the cream, giving a woody-bark effect. The branches need the chocolate swirled around with a fork at the ends.
