Marzipan Yule Logs Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat together sugar and egg yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, alternately beat milk and flour mixture into egg mixture.
• Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold one third of beaten whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites. Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until set, 12 minutes.
• Dust a clean cloth with confectioners' sugar. Turn cake out onto prepared cloth. Remove waxed paper. Trim cake edges. Starting with a long side, roll up cake, jelly-roll style. Transfer, seam-side down, to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
• Unroll cake; remove cloth. Spread whipped cream over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Re-roll cake. Place, seam-side down, on serving plate.
• To prepare frosting, in a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, melted chocolate, and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring vigorously until blended. Remove from heat. Let stand until set. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
• To prepare garnish, dust work surface with confectioners' sugar. Knead food coloring into marzipan until blended. Using a rolling pin dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll marzipan to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using a small knife, cut out leaves. Arrange leaves, cinnamon candies, and snowmen on top of cake and around plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place egg whites in large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. , Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar. Sift flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt together twice; gradually add to yolk mixture and mix well (batter will be very thick). , With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into batter. Spread evenly into prepared pan. , Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, 10-12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa powder. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; cool completely on a wire rack., Meanwhile, for the filling, beat cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and almond extract, beating until stiff peaks form. Unroll cake; spread filling to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up again. , In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate, milk and vanilla until smooth. Frost the cake, using a metal spatula to create a bark-like effect.

Steps:

• Blend the confectioner's sugar, finely ground almonds, egg whites, salt, and almond extract in a blender until perfectly blended. Cover and chill until firm, 24 hours.

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Place the gianduja in a medium heatproof bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine cream and sugar over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Strain the cream mixture through a fine sieve over the gianduja. Add butter, and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a cool place (not the refrigerator) until firm, about 8 hours.
• Dust the work surface, rolling pin, and marzipan lightly with confectioners' sugar to keep it from sticking. Roll marzipan into a 6-by-21-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch-thick. Trim edges, and cut into three 6-by-7-inch rectangles.
• Remove excess sugar from marzipan with a pastry brush. Spread each marzipan rectangle with 4 tablespoons of the ganache. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped pistachios. Roll tightly into a log enclosing pistachios. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour.
• Melt remaining ganache in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Dip the marzipan logs in the ganache, turning to coat. Using a paring knife, trim the ends of each roll, cutting on the bias; reserve ends. Use the tines of a fork to create wood-grain design on each log.
• Place ends, cut-side up, on the logs, forming branches. Decorate with marzipan holly leaves and berries. Will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.