Christmas is fast approaching, and with it, the desire to dazzle your guests with a festive and refined pastry . This year, forget traditional desserts and let yourself be seduced by the daring combination of sparkling Champagne and the exotic sweetness of persimmon gluten-free Yule log recipe was designed for Champagne lovers, including those with gluten intolerance. Imagine a light and melting Champagne mousse, enveloping a fruity persimmon center, all resting on an almond Sacher sponge . It's the perfect dessert for a chic and indulgent Christmas Eve, especially since it freezes perfectly : you can therefore prepare it in advance.
Ingredients
For the persimmon insert
For the Sacher biscuit
For the champagne mousse
Preparation
-
Preparing the persimmon insert
To do the day before:
-
Persimmon preparation: Blend the persimmon flesh with the orange and lemon juice. Pour into a saucepan and heat.
-
Adding the pectin: When the mixture reaches 40°C, mix the pectin with the sugar to avoid lumps. Sprinkle this sugar-pectin mixture over the persimmon puree.
-
Cooking: Bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The pectin is activated when boiling.
-
Molding: Remove from heat and immediately pour the mixture into an insert mold.
-
Freezing: After cooling, place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
-
-
Preparing the Sacher biscuit
-
Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper (I also use a little non-stick cooking spray).
-
Almond Paste: Soften the almond paste with the whole egg and the egg yolks one by one, until you obtain a smooth mixture.
-
Chocolate/Butter: Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir this lukewarm mixture into the almond paste/egg mixture.
-
Cocoa: Add the unsweetened, sifted cocoa to the mixture.
-
Whisk the egg whites: Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding the caster sugar gradually.
-
Incorporation: Gently incorporate the whipped egg whites into the batter in three stages, lifting the mixture with a spatula.
-
Baking: Spread the dough on the parchment paper to form a rectangle. Bake for about 10 minutes. The biscuit should remain soft.
-
Cutting: Let it cool and cut out a rectangle the size of the base of your log mold.
-
-
Preparing light champagne mousse
-
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns pale. Then add the champagne.
-
Place the bowl in a bain-marie (over a pan of boiling water). Whisk until the mixture becomes airy and increases in volume (about 10 minutes). Then let it cool slightly.
-
Whipped Cream: Whip the very cold liquid cream into soft peaks. Do not whip it too stiff.
-
Finishing: Gently fold the whipped cream into the previous mixture, lifting the batter with a spatula. This step is important for aeration and stability.
-
-
Assembling the log
-
Line the log mold with acetate or cling film. Personally, I use a silicone mat in my log mold.
-
Mousse: Pour two-thirds of the Champagne mousse into the mold. Spread the mousse up the sides.
-
Insert: Carefully unmold the frozen persimmon insert and place it in the center of the mousse.
-
Finish the mousse: Cover the insert with the remaining mousse.
-
Biscuit: Place the gluten-free Sacher biscuit on top (it will serve as the final base). Press down gently.
-
Freezing: Place the log in the freezer. For freezing until Christmas , wrap the molded and frozen log in several layers of cling film, then in aluminum foil or a freezer bag to protect it from dehydration and odors.
-
Unmolding and defrosting: 4 to 6 hours before serving, remove all packaging and unmold the log. Let it defrost slowly in the refrigerator .
-
Decoration: Decorate just before serving (slices of fresh persimmon, velvet spray, chocolate shavings...).
-
