The Christmas log

Buttercream recipe

• 4 eggs
• 600 g sugar
• 200 ml water
• 700 g butter

Progression for buttercream 

• Cook the sugar with the water to 116°C
• Pour the cooked sugar over the beaten eggs
• Whisk until cool
• Add the softened butter
• Beat and season to taste

Rolled biscuit recipe

• 5 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g flour
• 30 g melted butter

Progression for the biscuit 

• Mix the eggs with the sugar
• Heat the egg-sugar mixture in a bain-marie to 37°C and whisk while cold until the biscuit forms a ribbon
• Mix a little of the mixture with the melted butter
• Lift the sifted flour with a spatula into the mixture
• Lift the butter into the mixture
• Pour the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper
• Spread the dough evenly on the baking sheet
• Bake at 230°C for max. 5 minutes
• Remove the baked biscuit from the hot baking tray immediately after baking to avoid drying out the biscuit
• After cooling remove the baking paper

Assembly and decoration 

• Put 2/3 of the buttercream on the biscuit and spread it evenly
• Roll and tighten the biscuit with the buttercream and avoid hollows inside the log
• Cover the log with a thin layer of buttercream
• Remove the excess with a piece of paper and put in the fridge so that the buttercream can set.
• Cut off the ends of the log
• Stick the ends on the log like a tree trunk
• Cover with the buttercream without covering the ends of the log and the trunks
• Cover the ends and trunks with white buttercream
• Start decorating as you wish
• Place marzipan decorations on the log
• Dip a cookie cutter or spiral wire in cocoa to draw the age rings

Roasted pears recipe

• 5 pears
• 50 g vegetable butter
• 500 ml pear juice
• 2 vanilla pods
• 50 g lemon juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 starred badianas
• 5 g fleur de sel* (salt)
• 1 l apple juice

Progression for the roasted pears

• Peel the pears and cut them into 2 cm cubes.
• In a pan, reduce the pear juice by half
• Foam the vegetable butter with the pear juice reduction, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, half the apple juice and fleur de sel*
• Place the diced pears in the pan and lightly brown them
• Add the remaining apple juice and finish cooking, covered
• Keep the pears slightly firm in the middle

Chocolate biscuit recipe

• 180 g flour
• 20 g cornstarch
• 12 g baking powder
• 100 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 200 ml sparkling water
• 4 tbsp. neutral oil
• 2 cl rum

Progression for the chocolate biscuit

• In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the liquids, stirring constantly until you have a smooth dough
• Spread the dough on a baking tray (23 cm x 28 cm) and bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes
• Remove the biscuit from the hot baking tray, unload it to a tea towel and roll it up
• Leave to cool completely

Chocolate cream recipe

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 200 ml soy cream

Progression for the chocolate cream

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler
• Whip the soy cream
• Gradually add the melted chocolate to the whipped cream, lifting it rather than stirring it, to maintain the volume of the whipped cream

Assembly and decoration

• Open the cooled biscuit
• Add 2/3 of the chocolate cream and spread evenly over the biscuit
• Spread a layer of roasted pears on the chocolate cream
• Roll up and press together
• Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
• Coat the cooled log with the remaining chocolate cream
• Decorate with a few pears and spices

Did you know?

Mmmmh! The Luxembourg School of Hospitality and Tourism has published a book of exclusively plant-based recipes (in French and English), responding to the demand of a whole generation consciously eating well to preserve their health and that of our planet. It contains 59 plant-based recipes, almost 100% vegan, devised by the teaching chefs Steve Lentz for savoury and Carole Goerend for sweet. Do you want to change your plate and your taste? The book is available in bookshops or can be ordered from the EHTL.

More information here!