Vanilla, Caramel & Pecan Christmas Yule Log

Pecan Praline: To make this vanilla, caramel and pecan Christmas Yule Log recipe, start by preparing the ingredients for the pecan praline. if you are short of time, you can use the pecan praline paste 60% by Comptoir du Praliné.

Pour the water and caster sugar into a saucepan, stirring with a spatula...

...and bring to a boil.

When it starts boiling and the sugar has completely dissolved, add the pecans.

Mix thoroughly to coat the pecans with the syrup.

Add the fleur de sel...

...and continue stirring until the sugar starts to whiten and crystallize around the pecans.

As it solidifies, the sugar will turn white and coat the pecan nuts evenly.

Continue cooking while stirring constantly with the spatula to caramelize the pecans.

Gradually, the crystallized sugar will liquefy again and turn into caramel.

Cook until all the crystallized sugar has completely melted and caramelized, ensuring all the pecans are well coated in caramel. Be careful not to overcook to avoid burning the nuts.

When the pecans are fully caramelized, transfer them onto a sheet of parchment paper...

...spread them out with the spatula, and let them cool to room temperature.

Vanilla whipped ganache: Prepare all the ingredients. Combine the powdered gelatin with the hydration water (tap or mineral water) and let hydrate for 15 minutes.

Flatten the vanilla pod with the back of a knife, then split it in half...

...and scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife.

Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the vanilla seeds and the split pod.

Bring the cream to a boil.

Once boiling, add the hydrated gelatin and mix vigorously until completely incorporated.

Pour the hot mixture over the white chocolate placed in a mixing bowl...

...and whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

When the mixture is ready, cover it with cling film directly onto the surface and let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. Optionally, blend with an immersion blender before chilling.

Pecan praline (continued): Place the cooled caramelized pecans in a food processor bowl...

...and grind briefly...

...until you obtain a powdery mixture.

Scrape down any pecan bits sticking to the sides of the processor bowl and continue mixing.

Gradually, the powdered caramelized pecans will liquefy and form a paste.

Keep grinding...

...until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

Transfer the pecan praline into a container.

This homemade pecan praline retains bits of pecan and caramel inside. At this stage, it will be slightly warm, so let it cool to room temperature. Prepare it several hours ahead to ensure it cools completely.

Caramel and vanilla crémeux: Prepare all the ingredients. Hydrate the powdered gelatin with the hydration water for 15 minutes.

Pour the larger portion of heavy cream into a saucepan. Add the scraped vanilla seeds and the split vanilla pod.

Heat on the stove...

...and bring to a boil.

Weigh the glucose syrup directly into another saucepan.

Add the water...

...and the caster sugar...

...and bring everything to a boil until a blond caramel forms.

Meanwhile, pour the egg yolks into a mixing bowl.

Heat the smaller portion of whipping cream in the microwave to 50-55°C.

Pour the warm cream over the egg yolks while whisking.

The caramel continues to cook...

...and gradually deepens in colour. Be careful not to overcook, as this will make the caramel bitter.

When the caramel is golden, pour the boiling vanilla cream over it, stirring with a spatula.

Mix until the caramel is fully dissolved in the cream.

Away from the heat, add the cream and egg mix while stirring...

...until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

Return the saucepan to the stove and cook until the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, like a custard...

...without exceeding 82°C to prevent curdling.

The cream is ready when the consistency is right.

Add the hydrated gelatine...

...and the fleur de sel.

Mix with a hand blender. This will get rid of any bits of coagulated egg that might have formed.

Pour the caramel and vanilla crémeux into a food container...

...and cover it with cling film pressed directly onto the surface. Let cool to room temperature.

Soft vanilla biscuit: Prepare all the ingredients.

Pour the large amount of egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer...

...and beat with the whisk attachment.

When the whites are foamy, add the caster sugar and whisk...

...until firm peaks form. Set aside.

Place the almond powder and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.

Add the smaller portion of egg whites...

...and the whipping cream.

Split the vanilla pod half to extract the seeds.

Add the vanilla seeds to the mixing bowl.

Add the butter (melted beforehand)...

...and mix everything quickly with a spatula...

...until the mixture is smooth.

Then add the flour, baking powder, and fleur de sel...

...and whisk until you get a soft batter.

Finally, add the egg whites whipped into stiff peaks...

...and gently fold them in with a silicone spatula...

...until you obtain a soft, smooth, and homogeneous mixture.

Pour the batter onto a perforated baking sheet lined with parchment paper...

...and spread it out evenly with a cranked spatula to create a strip with dimensions 30 x 20cm.

Place the baking sheet in a ventilated oven preheated to 180°C and bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven.

Once baked, remove the vanilla soft biscuit from the oven and let it cool at room temperature.

Chocolate shell: Place the blonde chocolate and white chocolate in a mixing bowl.

Melt the two chocolates in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals...

...stirring every time to prevent them from burning.

When the chocolate is fully melted and no warmer than 30°C, apply it with a pastry brush inside the cavity of the Saint Honoré silicone mould, and create a thin layer.

When the cavity is completely coated with melted chocolate...

...flip it over onto a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.

When the chocolate has set, remove the silicone mold from the fridge and apply a second coat of chocolate using the pastry brush...

...ensuring you create a thin layer over the corners and grooves of the mold.

This is what the result should look like. Leave to crystallize at room temperature.

Take the yule log insert mold and cut it in half with scissors. Then fit the two halves together...

...so that the insert measures 22cm in length.

Tape both parts together.

Using a knife and a graduated ruler, cut the vanilla soft biscuit into a strip with a width of 3.5cm...

...and a length of 21.5cm. Set aside.

Once the vanilla caramel crémeux has cooled, pour it into the cavity of the insert mold, filling it up to the rim...

...and place the strip of vanilla soft biscuit directly into the cavity, in contact with the vanilla caramel crémeux.

Cover with a piece of cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface, and place in the freezer.

Cut a strip of vanilla biscuit to a width of 5cm...

...using the ruler and knife...

...and cut to a length of 23cm. Set aside.

Crunchy pecan praline: Prepare all the ingredients.

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between every time.

Finely chop the pecans, which have been previously roasted in the oven at 150°C for 10-15 minutes.

Pour the pecan praline into the melted white chocolate...

...and mix thoroughly.

Then add the pailleté feuilletine flakes...

...along with the roasted, chopped pecans...

...and mix vigorously until homogeneous.

Spread this crunchy pecan praline over the 23 x 5cm strip of vanilla biscuit...

...and flatten it with a pastry scraper and a mini palette knife...

...while making sure it completely covers the biscuit.

Store the biscuit strip in the fridge.

Vanilla whipped ganache (continued): Remove the vanilla ganache from the fridge and remove the cling film. The ganache should be firm in texture.

Transfer the ganache into a stand mixer bowl (scrape all the vanilla seeds at the bottom)...

...and beat with the whisk attachment...

...until you get the consistency of whipped cream. Be careful not to whisk excessively, as the cream may split.

Transfer the whipped vanilla ganache into a piping bag. No nozzle is required for this step. Set aside.

Assembling the yule log: Remove the insert mold from the freezer and take off the cling film.

Release the insert. It should be frozen through to ensure optimal results, though caramel-based preparations can make this step more challenging.

Here is the unmolded vanilla caramel crémeux insert.

Take the silicone mold with the crystallized chocolate shell.

Pipe the whipped vanilla ganache into the mold halfway up, directly into the chocolate shell.

Place the insert into the silicone mold, burying the rounded side into the whipped vanilla ganache (flat side facing up).

Pipe the whipped vanilla ganache up to the rim, leaving a space of 0.5cm on top to accommodate the biscuit.

Add the strip of vanilla biscuit on top, with the crunchy pecan praline side facing down. Press gently with your fingers to allow any excess ganache to rise up around the sides.

Use the mini cranked spatula to remove any excess vanilla ganache.

Cover the entire mould with cling film...

...and store in the freezer. Up to this stage, you can make this recipe several days in advance.

Finish: On the day, remove the silicone mould from the freezer and peel off the cling film.

Gently pull on the sides of the silicone mold.

Flip the mould upside down and carefully detach the silicone mould to release the yule log.

This step must be done immediately after you take the mould out of the freezer; it is crucial that the cake remains frozen through for optimal results.

Place the frozen log on a baking sheet lined with cling film. I used a rotating turntable to facilitate the coating operation.

Spray the caramel velvet spray over the surface of the yule log from a distance of about 30cm. Make sure to shake the bottle well before use, until you can hear the ball inside. Test the spray on paper first to ensure it's smooth and even.

Rotate the turntable to evenly coat all sides of the log with a thin, even layer of velvet coating.

The yule log is now fully coated. A frosty effect may form on the surface, which is perfectly normal (the log will whiten a bit because it is still frozen and needs defrosting).

Dip a blush brush into the shimmering silver powder...

...and apply the silver powder over a few pecans.

Using precision tweezers, pick up the silver-dusted pecans...

...and arrange them harmoniously on the surface of the yule log.

Pipe a few drops of neutral mirror glaze, using a decorating cone, into some of the grooves (or where small imperfections need to be concealed).

Carefully arrange silver flakes onto these drops of mirror glaze using the tweezers.

This is what the result should look like. The glaze will act as adhesive.

Carefully lift the yule log using two angled spatulas and place it onto a serving platter.

Our vanilla, caramel and pecan Christmas yule log is now finished. Allow it to defrost in the fridge for 5 to 6 hours before serving. Enjoy!