Name: Chocolate & Chestnut Buche
Yield: Makes 1 log (serves 8)
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 20 ml (¾ fl oz) dark rum; 120 g (4½ oz) unsweetened chestnut purée; 200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup) double (heavy) cream semi-whipped; 1 quantity of Dark Chocolate Mousse (sabayon method); 1 quantity of Alcohol Syrup made with dark rum; 1 quantity of Dark Chocolate Glaze; 5 g (⅛ oz) leaf gelatine; edible gold leaf to decorate; 300 g (10½ oz) tempered dark (bittersweet) chocolate used to make Copeaux and Patterned Squares; ½ quantity of Alhambra Chocolate Sponge; ½ quantity of Hazelnut & Almond Dacquoise; 1 bar or block of chocolate to make Chocolate Shavings; 100 g (3½ oz) shop-bought confit chestnuts plus extra to decorate

Preparation info

Makes 1 log (serves
8
)

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Patisserie

By William Curley and Suzue Curley

Published 2014

About

Traditionally Buche de Noel was made with genoise sponge, rolled and decorated with buttercream to resemble a log. In more recent years, with the adaption of moulds for pâtisserie, the buche has evolved to become a modern patisserie-style entremet. Originally it was an actual log of wood that was burned as a celebration of winter solstice. During the 1700s the Buche de Noel was invented in Paris.