Birch de Noél Makes 1 ten-by-five-inch log 1 fresh coconut 6 large eggs, separated 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons rum White Chocolate Mousse (recipe follows) Seven Minute Frosting (recipe follows) Meringue Mushrooms (recipe follows) Snowy Chocolate Truffles (recipe follows) Sugared Rosemary Sprigs (recipe follows) 1. Heat oven to 350. Wrap coconut in a kitchen towel, and place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a work surface. Reduce oven to 250. Tap coconut with a hammer until it cracks in several places; break it into pieces. The white flesh should be slightly pulling away from the hard shell. Separate it, keeping pieces of coconut as large as possible. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the largest pieces of coconut into long curls, and place on a baking sheet in oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until just dry. Grate the smaller pieces on the small holes of a box grater. You will need about 1/2 cup grated coconut for the cake filling. 2. Heat oven to 400. Line a 12-by-17-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks on high speed until pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside. Wash and dry mixer bowl. 3. Place egg whites in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium high, and add sugar gradually, whipping until stiff peaks form. Transfer egg-white mixture to a large bowl. 4. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg-yolk mixture into egg-white mixture. Sift cocoa powder and flour over top, and gently fold in. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. 5. Bake until cake springs back when touched, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and immediately turn cake out onto a wire rack lined with parchment paper. Peel parchment paper from top of cake, and cool completely. 6. Place a clean kitchen towel on work surface. Transfer cake on parchment paper to towel. Using a pastry brush, coat cake with rum. Using an offset spatula, spread white-chocolate mousse over cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut. 7. With a short end of cake facing you, roll carefully into a roulade. Wrap in a kitchen towel, and secure with clothespins or large metal binder clips to hold the roll in a tight round shape. Place on a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Birch de Noél 8. Remove from refrigerator, and unwrap. Using a serrated knife, trim the ends of the roll, cutting on the bias. Choose the more presentable end, and place it, cut-side up, on the log, forming a branch. If desired, use the other cut end for a second branch. 9. Transfer the log to a serving platter. Slide 5-inch strips of parchment paper under the log to protect the tray while decorating. Coat with Seven Minute Frosting using an offset spatula Remove parchment pieces. Decorate with Meringue Mushrooms, Snowy Chocolate Truffles, coconut shavings, and rosemary sprigs.
White Chocolate Mousse Makes 5 1/2 cups 1 seven-gram envelope powdered gelatin 12 ounces best quality white chocolate, roughly chopped 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 1. Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water, and set aside for 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped. 2. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Place 3/4 cup cream in a small saucepan, and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Add gelatin, and stir for 30 seconds to dissolve completely. Pour into food processor with the motor running, and process until chocolate mixture is smooth. 3. Transfer to a medium bowl and place over ice water bath. Chill until mixture is thick enough to fall from a spoon in ribbons. 4. Whip remaining 1 3/4 cups heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. If not using immediately, refrigerate in an airtight container.
Seven Minute Frosting Makes about 5 1/2 cups This cake frosting is named for the length of time it must be beaten in the final stage. Have the cake you are going to frost already prepared before making the frosting; it must be spread on while the beaten egg whites and sugar are still pliable; once frosted, the cake may sit out for several hours before being served. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 2 tablespoons water 3 large egg whites 1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to make sure there is no graininess. Raise heat to bring to a boil. Do not stir anymore. Boil, washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water from time to time to prevent the sugar from crystallizing, until a candy thermometer registers 230, about 5 minutes. (Depending on the humidity, this can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes.) 2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat when the temperature reaches 230 (it will keep rising as pan is removed from heat). Pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering) containing the egg-white mixture, with the mixer on medium-low speed. 3. Beat frosting on medium speed until cool, 5 to 10 minutes. The frosting should be thick and shiny. Use immediately.
Meringue Mushrooms Makes about 30 Swiss Meringue (recipe follows) 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped 1. Heat oven to 200. Place Swiss meringue in an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a large 3/4-inch round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe meringue, forming domes 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Pipe a stem shape for each dome. Bake for 1 hour; reduce heat to 175, and continue baking until meringues are completely dry to the touch but not browned, 45 to 60 minutes more. 2. Fill a medium saucepan one-quarter full with water. Set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Place bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir chocolate occasionally until completely melted. Using an offset spatula, spread bottoms of domed meringues with chocolate; let sit at room temperature. 3. Place white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set over simmering water. Turn off heat; stir chocolate occasionally until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly. To create mushroom gills, spread white chocolate over dark chocolate; use a toothpick to create lines from the center of the cap's underside to the edges. Let set in a cool, dry place. 4. Poke a small hole in the center of each mushroom cap using a paring knife. Dip the pointed end of each of the mushroom stems in melted white chocolate, and insert into hole in center of cap. Allow to set. Meringue mushrooms should be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Swiss Meringue Makes 4 cups 4 large egg whites 1 cup superfine sugar Pinch cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1. Fill a medium saucepan one-quarter full with water. Set over medium heat; bring water to a simmer. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar; place over saucepan. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Rub mixture between fingers to test. 3. Transfer bowl to mixer stand, and whip, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until meringue is cool and stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla; mix until combined. Use immediately.
Snowy Chocolate Truffles Makes about 50 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds (optional) 1 pound best-quality bittersweet chocolate 1 cup heavy cream Confectioners' sugar for dusting 1. Heat oven to 350. Place almonds on a baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Use a serrated knife to finely chop chocolate. Place in a heat-proof bowl; set aside. 2. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour directly over chopped chocolate, stirring to fully incorporate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. 3. Stir in almonds and place in the refrigerator until set. Use a melon baller or 1 1/4-inch ice-cream scoop to portion out chocolate. Roll the mixture between palms to form 1-inch truffles. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Coat with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Sugared Rosemary Sprigs To make sugared rosemary sprigs, brush washed sprigs with a glaze of one egg white from a large egg thinned with a tablespoon of water, then coat in superfine sugar, and let dry.