Tatin Yule Log

Tatin Yule Log/Bûche de Noël façon Tatin. Use a baking tray or similar pan 9''x13’’ (23x33cm) and a silicone, or metal yule log mold lined with parchment:10’’x3.25’’x3’’/25.5x8x7.5cm. Or, use Pavoni Tronchetti yule log silicone mold KEO12. Make this dessert a day ahead. Store for up to 48 hours in the fridge. Do not freeze. If served warm, add chantilly on side.

(French butter cookie). Sift flour with baking powder and set aside. In a food processor, crush whole almonds and transfer into a bowl. Cream butter with salt and sugar, add yolks and vanilla. Add flour in 2 times, then the almonds. Mix to combine – wrap up and chill.
Meanwhile, cut off a piece of paperboard into the size of the base of the mold. On a floured work surface, work out pastry to soften and roll out into a 1/4''/6mm thick even rectangle, prick with a fork. Place paperboard on the top and trim off excess pastry 1/2’’/1.25cm all around edges and chill. Save leftover sablée Breton for extra cookies.

Bake sablée Breton at 350ºF/180ºC for 30 minutes. Cool 10 min, and trim off edges matching the size of the log bottom.

Chantilly mousse is more stable than regular chantilly. Soak gelatin in cold water to soften; drain well. Heat up half of the heavy cream and vanilla, pour in melted chocolate and mix. Add gelatin, blend well and add remaining cold heavy cream; chill overnight. Whip to soft peaks. Pipe out in half sphere silicone molds and freeze, or serve aside.

*Best suitable apples for apple Tatin are: Pink Lady or Cripps Pink, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Rennet. Mix sugar (20g) and pectin; set aside. Pectin helps to set the caramelized apples structure. Peeled and core apples. Cut them in half and thinly sliced (the thinner the better/use a sharp knife or mandoline). In a hot frying pan, make a caramel a sec (caramel without water). Good caramel should rather be dark brown but not burned. Whisk in sugar pectin mixture – add butter gradually on low heat making sure is completely smooth, then add salt and vanilla.

Soak gelatin in cold water to soften; drain well. Mix sugar and pectin; set aside. Warm up water and whisk in sugar-pectin mixture; bring to boil – add glucose and vanilla; bring to a boil again. Remove from the heat and add gelatin. Sieve, cool and chill. Scrap out impurities formed on the surface before using. Use neutral glaze at 105/122ºF (40/50ºC). Neutral glaze can be stored for weeks in the refrigerator or frozen for months.

Pour caramel into a 9x13’’/23x33cm baking tray lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Arrange sliced apples (round side down) into tight rows and top with apple ends. Drizzle olive oil and bake at 350ºF/180ºC for 40 minutes. Press gently, cover and bake for another 40 minutes to soften. Apples should be soft enough to fit in the mold.
In a yule log mold lined with parchment paper, transfer apple slices into neat rows: begin from the center, then sides, fill up gaps with ends. Fold parchment over, cover and bake again for 55 minutes. The total baking time should be about 2:20 hours. It takes that long to reach the desired color and texture. Once baked, press down a bit and let cool to room temperature for 3 hours and chill overnight. Note that the tarte Tatin should be completely chilled before being flipped. It prevents from unfortunate mishandling such as risk of burning. It also allows the liquid to be fully absorbed by the apples during resting and cooling phase.

To unmold: Place crust on the chilled Tatin and flip. Glaze Tatin if desired. Top with frozen chantilly half spheres – chill to thaw and serve. Or, warm up Tatin and serve chantilly alongside. Merry Christmas!